(Quantities below are based on a 2lb red cabbage and makes loads so you can portion up the leftovers to go in the freezer).

Store cupboard items: Red wine vinegar,whole nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, cinnamon

Other ingredients: 1 red cabbage, 3 medium onions, 3 English apples, 1 clove garlic

Basically this whole recipe is about chopping and putting everything in the biggest, ideally lidded, dish or bowl you can find, that will fit in your microwave!

Quarter and quite finely slice the red cabbage, removing the white stalk and any large white chunks. Peel and finely chop the onions, apples and garlic, then bung the lot together in your big bowl and mix thoroughly with 2-3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, about the same of brown sugar and then roughly a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, a quarter of a freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/4 teaspoon of ground) and about 6 cloves. Season generously with salt and pepper and then put on the lid or cover with cling film and cook for about 3 lots of 10 minutes on high in the microwave. Stir really well in between bouts and gradually you will see the whole lot go purple. Have a taste and add more sugar, vinegar or seasoning according to how you like the flavour.

You have to get used to tasting your cooking as you go, to find out what works and doesn’t work. I try to be as flexible as possible on quantities and also on ingredients- if I haven’t got something it’s often possible to think of a similar tasting alternative.