Recipes with water

Spring asparagus soup with tender asparagus pieces simmered in milk or cream with butter and black pepper. A bare-bones four-ingredient soup that lets fresh asparagus shine.

Ghoul-Ade Halloween drink with green lemonade and jiggly cherry gelatin "gopher guts" floating inside. A spooky, fun party drink for kids that's easy to make.

Chilled raspberry Bavarian cake folds whipped cream and stiff egg whites into a raspberry-spiked custard set with gelatin. Sliced like cake, served cold, no baking needed.

Company apple pie is a three-pie batch showstopper with a sugar crust, lemony apple filling, caramel sauce stripes, cream cheese topping, and chopped walnuts. Built to feed a crowd.

Iced Jazzberry Java blends pureed raspberries with cold coffee and half-and-half over cracked ice. A fruity, creamy iced coffee drink topped with whipped cream and fresh mint.

Vegetable and herb curry tosses curried brown rice with sauteed onion, celery, and pepper plus sweet apple and raisins. A quick, mild vegan curried rice that comes together in about 30 minutes.

Salsa Mexicana (pico de gallo) with fresh tomato, white onion, serrano chilies, and cilantro. A raw, chunky Mexican table salsa best made right before serving for maximum crunch and freshness.

Fish marinade with white wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and hot sauce. A versatile Asian-inspired marinade that works on fish, chicken, and lamb for grilling or broiling.

Dutch apple crumb bars stack a shortbread crust, apple-date filling, and cinnamon oat crumble into sliceable bars. Classic streusel topping over tender baked apples with a chewy date kick.

Steamed ancient egg diamonds set fresh eggs, century (preserved) egg, and salted duck egg into one silky steamed custard, then cut into diamonds. A classic Chinese three-egg dish with a striking marbled look.

Blazing cranberry pie with a lattice crust, plump raisins, and a flaming sugar cube presentation. A show-stopping tart-sweet cranberry dessert you can literally set on fire.

Cranberry ice with raspberry wine or liqueur, churned in an ice cream maker for a tart, refreshing low-fat frozen dessert. Garnished with fresh mint and sugared cranberries.

Bread machine naan: yogurt-enriched Indian flatbread baked in a screaming-hot oven for puffy, blistered rounds brushed with butter and topped with onion. The home-kitchen cheat for restaurant naan without a tandoor.

Seven-ingredient vegetarian chili built on a can of refried beans, tomato sauce, and basic pantry spices. Comes together in 20 minutes flat. The college-dorm chili that scales to a real weeknight bowl.

Homemade yeast breadsticks, plain or seeded with fennel, caraway, or poppy seeds. Thin, crispy, bakery-style sticks that keep for weeks stored airtight.

Fresh corn bisque with turmeric, aromatic vegetables, and green onion garnish. A dairy-free, vegan-friendly soup that works hot or chilled. Ready in 25 minutes.