Tuscan Chicken Cakes + Cauliflower Soup

As promised I am back with the best menu ever for the next time you have guests over. This week you lucky gals are getting two recipes instead of just one I have my friend Melissa to thank for this delish Tuscan Chicken Cake Recipe. As soon as we made plans to have friends over I immediately texted her and told her to send me her favorite entertaining recipe. She is a great cook so I knew I would not be disappointed. These Chicken Cakes are very similar to Crab Cakes. I absolutely love the Mediterranean twist on them. Adding in a little pesto and roasted red peppers gave the cakes great flavor. The best part is that you can make them ahead. I made the cakes and both sauces the morning before our friends came over and just refrigerated them til I was ready to cook them that night. They also look pretty beautiful plated. You and your guests will love these tasty cakes.

TUSCAN CHICKEN CAKES WITH TOMATO BASIL RELISH3 Cups Cooked Chicken shredded and chopped
½ Cup finely chopped red onion (**I use a Rotisserie Chicken**)2 TBS Olive Oil
1 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs, divided
1 pkg of mixed greens
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Balsamic and Oil Dressing (I just made my own with olive oil and balsamic vinegar)1 Egg, lightly beaten
Golden Aioli (see directions below)
¼ Cup prepared basil pesto
Tomato Basil Relish (see below)
2 tsp honey mustard
1/3 Cup finely chopped roasted red peppers, drained
1 Package mixed salad greens.

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix together chicken, ½ cup bread crumbs, mayo, egg, pesto, honey mustard, roasted red peppers and onion. Shape chicken mixture into 8 cakes. Lightly coat each with remaining ½ cup bread crumbs.
In a large nonstick skillet, place oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken cakes 3 mins per side. Drain on a paper towel.
Toss salad greens with balsamic dressing and divide among 4 serving plates. Top each with 2 chicken cakes; drizzle with Golden Aioli and a dollop of Tomato-Basil Relish.

GOLDEN AIOLI:
Whisk together ½ cup mayo and 2 TBS honey mustard

TOMATO-BASIL RELISH:
Mix together 1 cup seeded and chopped plum tomatoes with 1/3 cup chopped red onion, 2TBS silvered basil leaves, 1 tsp basil pesto, and 2 TBS balsamic/oil dressing.


CAULIFLOWER SOUP
For a starter I made Cauliflower Soup. I have actually never made Cauliflower soup before but I recently had some at the Glass Onion and knew I needed to recreate it asap. It was such a silky smooth soup with amazing flavor. I googled a few recipes then ended up creating my own version. This soup was so easy to make and I just let it simmer for a few hours before we ate. It reheated fantastically the next day as well. This just might become your new favorite soup. I added in truffle oil and crumbled bacon which let me tell you made this soup freaking fantastic- but you can totally leave them out if you prefer.


CAULIFLOWER SOUP
1 head cauliflower
1-2 garlic cloves
1 carrot diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 small onion diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
2 bay leaf
1.5 cups heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons truffle oil


Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut cauliflower into 1-inch flowerets. In a large baking pan toss cauliflower with oil to coat and roast in middle of oven about 30 minutes, or until golden.

Sautee celery, carrot, onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Add in broth, roasted cauliflower, and herbs. Simmer 30 min-1 hour, or until cauliflower is very tender. Discard bay leaves and in a blender puree soup in batches until smooth (or use an immersion blender if you have one), transferring to a bowl. Return soup to bowl and stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. Heat soup over moderate heat until just heated through. Stir in truffle oil just before serving. Optional- we served ours with crumbled bacon over top.