Recipes with water

Simple couscous with raisins and butter, ready in under 10 minutes. Just boil water, stir in couscous and raisins, cover, and let it steam. Five ingredients, no fuss.

Chili-Cheese Bake layers Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese with green chilies under an egg-flour batter and bubbly tomato sauce. A Southwestern casserole with minimal prep.

Frijoles de olla are traditional Mexican pot beans simmered with whole garlic heads, onion, and cilantro. Simple black beans cooked from dried in their own broth, no soaking required.

Creamy chicken chowder with potatoes, carrots, and fresh parsley thickened with a flour-milk slurry. A hearty, from-scratch soup that's perfect for thermos lunches.

Soft honey butter rolls shaped as cloverleaf pull-aparts in muffin tins. A tender yeast dough with honey sweetness that stays fresh for days.

From-scratch chocolate cake with melted unsweetened chocolate, cake flour, and iced water, topped with a whipped chocolate frosting beaten over ice until fluffy and light.

One-dish microwave spaghetti with ground beef, Italian tomato sauce, and Parmesan. A complete pasta dinner for two cooked entirely in the microwave in 15 minutes.

Homemade tofu milk blended from just tofu, water, and maple syrup. A 3-ingredient vegan milk alternative ready in 5 minutes. Adjust the water for milk or cream consistency.

Pecan shortbread cookies with buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crumb and a simple powdered sugar glaze drizzle. Five ingredients, no eggs, with toasted pecans throughout each tender bite.

Southern spoon bread made with stone-ground white cornmeal, eggs, butter, and milk. Custardy and soft enough to scoop with a spoon, with a golden crust on top.

Homemade monkey bread from scratch with buttery yeast dough balls coated in cinnamon-brown sugar and layered with nuts in a tube pan. Pull-apart and caramelized.

Classic pate brisee: the four-ingredient French shortcrust pastry that forms the base of every great quiche, tart, or pot pie. Flour, butter, salt, and ice water cut and chilled into flaky perfection.

Versatile Czech kolace dough made like pie crust with shortening, egg yolks, and yeast. Chills overnight, then rolls out on powdered sugar for filled pastries in any shape.

Whole peeled oranges glazed in a candied citrus-zest syrup with cream of tartar, mace, and orange liqueur. A classic French dessert that chills to a glossy, fragrant finish.

Mohren, a traditional German side dish of carrots and apples glazed in butter, honey, and white vinegar. Sweet, tangy, and simple with just a few ingredients.

Creamy orange smoothie made with frozen orange juice concentrate, milk, vanilla, and ice. Tastes like a melted creamsicle and blends up in minutes.