Chipotle Pulled Chicken on Corn Spoon Bread

Caroline Gray of Pointe-Claire, Que., won accolades and first place with her  Mexican-inspired recipe. Corn flour, which is finer than the usual cornmeal and closer to the texture of all-purpose flour, gives the bread its soft, appealing texture. It's available in grocery stores.

Mini Smoked Salmon Dill Quiches

Mini quiches are easier to serve than one big quiche, and they make for an elegant presentation at your holiday brunch. Prep them the night before, then pop them into the oven to reheat in the morning.

Peking Hamburger Dumplings

Chicken Pot Pie with Mushrooms, Bacon & Leeks

A creamy chicken filling pairs up with a flaky crust for a family dinner winner.

Fish Cakes With Lemon Mayonnaise

The atmosphere at The Economy Shoe Shop on Argyle Street in Halifax is über-fun and laid-back. They serve these home-style cakes as an appetizer, but they're substantial enough for a main course, especially when accompanied by a green salad and a fantastic local beer such as Propeller Bitter Ale.

Steamed Chocolate Pudding

You can make this light, cakey pudding in one pan or six small moulds.

Tomorrow's Lasagna

The sauce for this lasagna should be made the day before you want to serve the lasagna; it tastes better the second day! The final dish cuts beautifully when serving and the tomato meat sauce layer and cheese sauce layer combine perfectly for an awesome taste.

Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie

Make the sour cream pastry with non-hydrogenated shortening (available at health food stores and some supermarkets) for a vegetarian dish.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We took on the challenge of creating a no–trans fat pastry, which meant cutting out shortening. It wasn't as easy as replacing the shortening with butter; we had to adjust the amounts of liquid, butter and flour and revise the rolling-out method to create a crust you'll want to use for all your summer fruit pies.

Double Trouble Dark Chocolate Caramel Cake

Decadent, layered with caramel and topped with a thick chocolate icing, this cake is a little time-consuming, but well worth the effort. The key to perfect caramel is to just let the sugar and water cook to amber and never walk away during the colour stage.