Recipes with water

Old-fashioned wild plum jelly made with fresh plum juice, dry fruit pectin, and sugar. A traditional grandma-style preserve with a tart-sweet edge that captures wild plums at peak season.

A slow cooker navy bean and barley soup with sage and a hint of liquid smoke. Creamy, smoky, and completely plant-based.

This delicious dessert is great for a light snack after dinner or a Christmas party.

Here's a recipe for pumpkin soup. It comes from Jon Gatewood, the executive chef of Emma's restaurant in the Silas Griffith Inn in Danby, Vermont.

Louisiana courtbouillon with red snapper and oysters in a dark roux-thickened tomato sauce with the Creole holy trinity, mushrooms, and bay. Served over hot rice. A classic Cajun seafood stew.

Philadelphia-style sour cream apple pie in a butter crust, topped with a brown sugar walnut streusel. The Pennsylvania classic that swaps lattice for custard and crunch.

Raw vegan vegetable-nut pate with pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cilantro, and grated vegetables. A no-cook plant-based spread served in bell pepper cups with crudites.

Microwave poached salmon cooks a salmon fillet in just 5 minutes with nothing but water and a covered dish. The fastest way to get tender, flaky salmon on the table for one or two.

Steamed salmon or trout fillets topped with a from-scratch hollandaise sauce built on a crushed peppercorn and white wine vinegar reduction. Classic French technique with rich, buttery results.

Lentil fatta salad with soft-cooked lentils, cubed pita bread, scallions, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil. A warm Middle Eastern salad with hearty texture.

Empanadas de fruta filled with spiced dried fruit, raisins, pine nuts, and warm cinnamon-clove-nutmeg filling, deep-fried in a flaky homemade dough until golden and crispy.

Authentic slow-simmered Indian curry with freshly toasted and ground whole spices, served over fragrant cardamom-turmeric basmati rice. Use any pre-cooked meat for a deeply spiced homemade curry.

Macaroni and cheese soup with melted American cheese, elbow macaroni, corn, peas, carrots, and celery. A creamy, kid-friendly comfort soup ready in 30 minutes.

Cauliflower florets stir-fried and simmered in a blended ginger-onion paste with tomatoes, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and a finish of garam masala. A fragrant Indian vegetable side dish with real depth.

Stir-fried chicken breast with onion and green pepper in a creamy broccoli-soy sauce, served over seasoned ramen noodles. A fast 30-minute weeknight dinner using pantry staples.

Ginger-spiced broccoli peanut chicken baked with rice in one dish. Crunchy peanuts and tender broccoli make this a freezer-friendly weeknight winner.