Sara's Weeknight Meals

The winter is full of big family meals where you really have to be on your game to get food on the table all at once. Sara shows a little love to the unsung heroes of the big meal, the sides. She's got delicious winter vegetables like shredded butternut squash with dates, Brussels sprouts with panko breadcrumbs and a creamy tahini sauce, plus a creamy root vegetable soup that can stand on its own as a main course or serve as a first course. And for the hungry cook: apple nutmeg bites to tide you over until dinnertime. Recipes: Root vegetable soup with pita crisps; Shredded butternut squash with dates; Brussels sprouts with panko; Apple nutmeg bites 3.