Recipes with water

Old-fashioned chocolate sheath cake with cocoa, buttermilk, and a hint of cinnamon, frosted while still hot from the oven. A classic Texas-style sheet cake with a fudgy topping.

Non-alcoholic mock champagne punch with grapefruit juice, orange juice, simple syrup, grenadine, and ginger ale. A sparkling party drink for celebrations and showers.

Thai chicken soup with lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce, fresh chili, cilantro, and mint. A light, aromatic broth inspired by tom yum, served with rice.

Chocolate cookies shaped like pine cones with melted chocolate and overlapping toasted almond slices. A show-stopping holiday cookie project that looks like woodland art.

Green beans with mushrooms is a buttery, six-ingredient side dish. Fresh green beans simmered until tender, then tossed with butter-sauteed mushrooms for a humble holiday classic.

Pork stew with green chilies, jalapeno, and oregano slow-simmered until fork-tender. A New Mexican-style chile verde served rolled in warm flour tortillas.

Cuban-style black bean soup simmered with ham hock, scotch bonnet pepper, and a splash of dark rum stirred in just before serving. Rich, smoky, and deeply satisfying.

Buttered Belgian endive: sliced endive braised in butter, lemon juice, and water until tender-crisp. A classic French bistro side for roasted meats, fish, or eggs.

Mushroom barley bake with pearl barley simmered in chicken broth, tossed with sauteed mushrooms, onion, and thyme, bound with eggs, and baked until golden. A hearty, savory side dish.

Layered strawberry pudding with vanilla wafers, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped topping. A no-bake icebox dessert that comes together in minutes.

Ham bone and bean soup made from leftover holiday ham scraps simmered with beans, onion, garlic, and a homemade aromatic stock. A thrifty, waste-nothing soup that turns a spent ham bone into dinner.

Cuban-style black beans and rice made from scratch with dried beans, cumin, oregano, garlic, and vinegar. A budget-friendly vegan meal simmered low and slow.

Slow cooker turkey breast rolled with fontina cheese, prosciutto, parsley, and thyme, braised in white wine and broth. An Italian-inspired roast that cooks for 9 to 10 hours.

Cream of corn soup builds a classic milk-based bechamel with butter, flour, and minced onion, then folds in sweet corn and celery leaves. A simple, vegetarian comfort soup ready in 40 minutes.

Paneer is a fresh cheese with plenty of texture and protein. In this traditional northern Indian dish, Paneer is combined with green peas in a spicy tomato-ginger sauce. Fresh Paneer is quite crumbly, so it is generally cut into cubes and sauteed until golden before combining with other ingredients. For variety, try adding some finely minced fresh cilantro and a little freshly ground black pepper to the mixture before cubing and frying. If you do have any left over, serve it warm in whole wheat pita bread topped with sliced tomaotes and crunchy red onions.

Slow-roasted pork loin stuffed with apple and onion slices, rubbed with sage, and basted in a creamy chicken soup and sherry pan sauce.