Beetroot Tofu Salmon Parcels with Brocolli Xmas Tree - Red/Green Week # 3

I wanted to do a Brocolli Xmas Tree, but has been contemplating between Chinese style or Western style.
Not until Mike's relatives came back for the weekend, and I'm hosting them a dinner did I finally decided on how to do it.

It'll be Chinese style :)


What I will be making as parcels will also be determined by what's for dinner. Recently I picked up a new hobby, making noodles. So I asked them whether they want homemade noodles and pasta at my place. So, they said yes and so, the idea of forming the tree base with mashed potato is scraped. It has to be a fully veggie tree. Mike's aunts are a bit health conscious, so I better do something healthy. Before that I had been contemplating between red cooked pork belly parcels, or bacon wrapped chicken parcels or something associated with meat. But since it's for them, hmm no bacon, and no fatty stuff like belly and such. Tofu parcels will be the best for them, with salmon in the middle. That will sound better for entertaining, rather than plain frugal tofu.

These tofu parcels took me more than 1 hour to complete............ But maybe because I made 15 pieces. Took me quite some time to get every piece nicely bundled up. And the tofu is fragile, can't work too fast without breaking them.

But alas..... I was late. Although cooking this was simple, as in, steaming, blanching and cooking a simple sauce, but I was so so tied up with the noodles and pasta I barely had time to nicely decorate the Xmas tree. Everybody's hungy. So, only "snow" was on the tree with a Star, rather bare, hahaha! But then again, at least it's completed. If only I added some chopped capsicums here and there a bit or some goji berries, then it will look much much better.

Are you in the mood for Christmas yet?

Beetroot Tofu Salmon Parcels with Brocolli Xmas Tree.

Recipe created by Wendyywy

Beetroot Tofu Salmon Parcels
Tofu (2 large blocks)
Salmon (I used one palm sized piece, 1 inch thick)
Beetroot ( as many as needed)
Chinese Chives (Few stalks)

1. Cut tofu into squarish slices and slice salmon into similar sizes.
2. Slice beetroot with a mandolin and trim to similar slices with tofu.
3. Boil a small pot of water and blanch chives (Untrimmed) for 3 seconds. Immediately plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking.
4. Sandwich a slice of salmon with 2 slices of tofu (sprinkle some salt and pepper onto the salmon if needed, but I didn’t and I should've).
5. Use beetroot to sandwich (4).
6. Tear a piece of chive (up until its white base) and wrap the “sandwiches” like a parcel.
7. Steam on high heat for 5 minutes or until done.
8. Remove from steaming plate and arrange on serving plate.

Brocolli Christmas Tree
2 heads of broccoli
1 slice of starfruit
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp cornstarch
1 egg white
1 tsp oil

1. Heat a pot of water and put in some salt and sugar.
2. Boil whole heads of broccoli for 1 minute or until desired softness(I like mine to be still crunchy) and drain.
3. Trim broccoli and arrange like a Christmas tree (with the beetroot parcels around) Top with a starfruit slice.
4. Mix chicken stock with cornstarch. Bring to a boil (adjust consistency if needed). The gravy should look thicken than what you want because it will water down when it touches the broccoli. Taste and adjust saltiness if needed.
5. Put in oil and egg white. Stir it immediately to create egg white streaks.
6. Pour the gravy over edible Christmas tree. Add some goji berries if needed. But I was in rush for dinner.

I am submitting this to the Christmas Giveaway in

The Sweet Spot