Recipes with water

Cold sesame peanut noodle salad with chicken, bean sprouts, scallions, and red pepper, tossed in a garlicky peanut butter-soy dressing. Asian-inspired pasta salad served chilled over crisp lettuce.

Vegan wild rice crepes stuffed with a savory trio of shiitake, oyster, and button mushrooms, finished with a silky nutty almond sauce. Elegant plant-based entertaining at its finest.

Maryland-style spicy crab soup simmered with chicken wings, tomatoes, corn, and green peas. Seasoned with Old Bay-style spices and lemon pepper for that Chesapeake Bay kick.

Easy chicken tamale pie with a cheesy cornmeal crust, chili-spiced chicken, kidney beans, and melty cheddar. A cozy one-dish weeknight dinner the whole family craves.

Grilled mahi mahi marinated in saffron, white wine, and Pernod, served with sauteed fennel, crispy fried fennel stems, and homemade garlic aioli. Restaurant-worthy French seafood.

Poached pears with chocolate drizzle: Bosc pear wedges simmered in white wine and apple juice with warm spices, then crowned with melted dark chocolate. An elegant light dessert.

Delicious and dramatic, this dish is a mosaic of colors. It's easy enough to make for a simple family dinner but impressive enough to serve to guests.

Classic bread dressing studded with dried apricots, walnuts, and celery for a sweet-savory stuffing that pairs beautifully with roasted turkey.

Fresh spinach topped with spirals of sliced strawberries and drizzled with a tangy raspberry vinegar and shallot dressing. A bright, simple salad ready in 15 minutes.

Hearty vegetable beef soup packed with potatoes, barley, winter squash, carrots, celery, peppers, and green beans in a tomato-thyme broth. A big-batch fridge-clearer that feeds 12 and improves overnight.

Garbanzo bean stew with beef or venison, slow-simmered for hours with dried chickpeas and onions. A hearty Native American-inspired dish best served with Indian bread.

Silky crab meat stir-fried with ginger, scallions, and cooking wine, finished with wispy egg white and poured over blanched baby bok choy. A light, elegant Chinese seafood dish ready in 35 minutes.

Silky crab meat stir-fried with ginger, scallions, and cooking wine, finished with wispy egg white and poured over blanched baby bok choy. A light, elegant Chinese seafood dish ready in 35 minutes.

Creamy asparagus soup with leeks, red potatoes, tarragon, and basil, simmered in 30 minutes. A velvety, herb-scented bowl that tastes like spring in every spoonful.

This is actually fairly easy to make, the only time consuming part was peeling the eggplant and chopping vegetables.

Rich homemade chicken stock built from gizzards and necks simmered for over 2 hours with onion, carrot, garlic, and peppercorns. Yields 2 quarts of liquid gold for soups, sauces, and braises.