Purple Cabbage with Sweet Potato and Carrot
This recipe creates a puree with a bit more texture. It is suitable for big girls like me, and babies who have a bit of experience with solid foods. Purple cabbage is very healthy but it can cause staining. Clean up messes quickly and wash hands often.
Ingredients:
1 small purple cabbage
2 sweet potatoes
4 carrots
Preparation:
Preheat the steamer on high heat.
Remove a couple of the outside layers of the cabbage leaves by cutting them at the base and pealing them away. What remains should be clean, smooth, and undamaged cabbage leaves. Rinse well in lukewarm water and pat dry.
Place the cabbage on a cutting board with the core facing up. Pace the knife right next to the core and slice down all the way through. This will allow you to clearly see the core. Cut the rest of the cabbage away from the core by making two large wedges.
You should end up with three pieces of cabbage and a core. Discard the core and inspect the cabbage to make sure that there are no tough chunks of core remaining. Slice the cabbage into one inch pieces.
Wash the carrots and sweet potatoes in warm water. Peel them and give them a good rinse. Cut them into cubes about an inch thick. Put the cubes into the steamer and reduce the heat to medium. Put the cabbage on top, cover, and steam for about 20 minutes or until everything is nice and tender.
Remove the cabbage, sweet potato, and carrot from the steamer, place on a platter and allow to cool. When the vegetables are at room temperature or slightly warm, put them into a food processor and run the machine on high until everything is thoroughly blended. The puree will be somewhat textured but should not be chunky.
This batch makes several meals which we store in the freezer in meal sized portions. This puree is somewhat hardy and it will keep in the fridge for a few days. This combination is not suitable for beginners but it is perfect for babies who are ready for new textures, and is a great transitional meal bridging the gap between smooth purees and chunky food.