Spicy Chicken Cakes

I came across this recipe on a cooking discussion website. It intrigued me, so I copied and pasted it to my hard drive. Going through my recipes trying to decide what to make for dinner, I'd often open it up, think about it, and then go to another recipe. But I finally decided to try it tonight. What was I waiting for?? They are surprisingly delicious! Instead of the horseradish aioli suggested in the recipe, I decided on "fake aioli": mayo, grated garlic, grated lemon zest, lemon juice, salt. One other change I tried out on one of the cakes was to mix the remaining fresh bread crumbs with some Italian-style dried bread crumbs to coat one of the cakes with before browning. That was just as good. The texture, the flavor, the ease of making... this is definitely a winner recipe!

I served it with wild rice and fresh green beans that I coated with egg whites that had been mixed until they were a bit foamy. Sprinkle some Italian-style dried bread crumbs over the beans and put them in a 450 F. oven for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle sea salt over the beans when they come out of the oven. They were good with the aioli, too!

Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli

CAKES:

2 (1 1/2-ounce) slices whole wheat bread
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons canola oil

[ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTES:

- I used real Helmans, not low-fat and I added a minced garlic clove and cayenne pepper in place of the cajun seasoning.

- Made my own Aioli. A garlic Lemon Aioli using the extra egg yolks, and adding 3 large cloves of garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest salt, pepper and olive oil.]

AIOLI:
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt

To prepare cakes, place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup (discard remaining breadcrumbs). Set breadcrumbs aside.

Place chicken in food processor; pulse until ground. Combine chicken, chives, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, egg whites, and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl; mix well (mixture will be wet). Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

Source: Linda/"doucanoe