Mise en Place

• Gather all your ingredients.
• You will need two saucepans, a cast-iron skillet, two sheet pans, one cooling rack, and a food processor
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Measure the dijon into a measuring cup and the sage into small prep bowl. Set aside.

Reduce the Balsamic

• Measure 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan.
• Heat on medium-high until a small boil starts. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vinegar reduces and becomes thicker. Set aside.

Prepare the Cauliflower and Garlic

• Core the cauliflower, chop into small pieces and place them on a sheet pan.
• Add the garlic cloves to the sheet pan, leaving on the skins.
• Drizzle sunflower oil over the cauliflower and garlic and season with kosher salt and pepper
• Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the garlic and cauliflower are roasted. Then, remove from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes.

While the cauliflower is roasting do the following:

Prepare the Puree "Sauce"

• While the cauliflower is roasting, measure the milk, butter, chicken stock, Tofutti into a small saucepan. Season lightly with kosher salt and pepper and simmer on low until the cauliflower is done. Remove from the heat when you take the cauliflower out of the oven.

Prepare the Chicken

• Slice and pound the chicken.
• If the chicken breasts are quite thick, slice horizontally in half before pounding.
• Pound each piece of chicken breast to 1/4 inch thick and set aside.

Pulverize the Pretzels and Prepare the Dredge

• Add half of the pretzels to the food processor and pulverize until medium-sized pieces remain. Add the rest of the pretzels and process until only small pieces remain.
• Empty the pretzel "dust" onto a sheet pan.
• In a bowl with low sides, add the cooking flour blend, sage and season liberally with kosher salt and pepper.
• In another bowl with low sides, whisk together the mustard and eggs.

Dress the Arugula

• Add arugula to a bowl. Measure and add the sherry vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. Mix together with your hands or a tong and set aside.

Make the Puree

• Remove the skins from the garlic and add the garlic to the food processor. Now add the cauliflower and pulse a few times.
• Add all of the "sauce" to the processor and mix for about 30 seconds.
• Taste the puree and add kosher salt and pepper if needed, which it most like will.
• Continue mixing until you achieve your desired creaminess.
• Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer on low to keep the puree warm which you cook the chicken.

Dredge and Fry the Chicken

• Heat 2 cups sunflower oil (or enough to halfway fill a cast iron skillet) on the medium-high.
• Taking one piece of chicken at a time follow these steps: 1. dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. 2. dredge chicken in the mustard mix and shake off excess. 3. dredge chicken in pretzels and press in to get as much to adhere to the chicken as possible. Put the completely dredged chicken on the other side of the sheet pan. Repeat the same process with the rest of your chicken.
• Temp the oil to see if it is close to 350-360 degrees. Either turn up or turn down the heat depending upon the temp. When oil is at temp, add two pieces of chicken and let cook for 3 minutes.
• After 3 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes. Make sure you partially lift up the chicken to check that the crispness level is spot on before you flip. The goal is a golden color. After the second 3 minutes is done, remove the chicken to a cooling rack. Repeat the process for the other pieces of chicken.

Plate and Eat

• Add arugula to each plate, followed by the puree and then one piece of the pretzel chicken. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the entire dish and enjoy!