Recipes with water

A competition-style Texas chili with coarse-ground beef chuck, no beans, and a bold spice blend of cumin, oregano, woodruff, and pequin chilis. Simmered for hours and thickened with corn flour.

Quinoa stuffed onions filled with mushrooms, chickpeas, celery, and garlic, topped with a creamy roasted walnut sauce. A hearty vegetarian main dish with plant-based protein.

Braised red cabbage with fresh cranberries, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and ground cloves. A tangy, sweet-sour side dish with vibrant color for holiday meals.

A frozen slush punch made with cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and sugar, topped with lemon-lime soda for fizz. Make ahead and scoop out servings as needed. Makes 2 gallons.

Plains Tribes dried corn soup with dried beef or buffalo and fatback, simmered low and slow after a 48-hour corn soak. A traditional Native American recipe with deep, earthy flavor.

Thick, hearty lentil soup with chunks of smoked sausage, potatoes, carrots and a surprising strip of orange zest that brightens the whole pot. A filling main-course bowl ready in about 80 minutes.

Cranberry-onion relish with sauteed onion and garlic, fresh cranberries, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. Savory-sweet Thanksgiving condiment for turkey, pork, or cheese boards.

Orange braised pork shoulder with port wine, dried figs, apples, and fresh orange, slow-simmered until fork-tender. Served over sesame brown rice.

Granny Smith apple pie with a flaky homemade crust and a buttery brown sugar crumble topping spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. From-scratch apple pie the way it should be.

Dairy-free potato leek soup pureed with brown rice for natural body and silkiness. No cream, no butter. A light French-style potage with a splash of white wine vinegar to brighten every spoonful.

Traditional yeast-raised kolachky filled with spiced prune lekvar, folded at the corners so the filling peeks through, then dusted with powdered sugar. An old-world Polish and Czech holiday pastry.

Pasta in almond garlic sauce blends blanched almonds, raw garlic, and parmigiano-reggiano into a silky, dairy-light coat for cavatappi. Fresh basil, mint, and a squeeze of lemon keep it bright.

Saffron bread for the bread machine, a fragrant Scandinavian-style golden yeast loaf with bloomed saffron, sweet currants, lemon zest, and warm nutmeg.

Fresh ripe tomatoes stewed with scallions, green pepper, dill, and basil, thickened with cornmeal and enriched with sunflower seed butter. Diabetic-friendly and naturally vegan.

Low-calorie chicken stir-fry marinated in soy sauce, lemon juice, and sesame oil, then tossed with garlic and fragrant tarragon. Light, bright, and on the table in under an hour.

Chicken coq au vin made weeknight-easy: browned chicken breasts braised with mushrooms, carrots, and onion in red wine, broth, and tomato paste. A lighter, faster take on the French classic, ready in under an hour.