Deep purple salad

I sometimes have mixed feelings about red cabbage - especially when it's over-spiced and served as a side dish that obliterates every other flavour on your plate. Instead, here's a quick, light red cabbage dish that also happens to work well with leftover Christmas turkey, ham, pork pie or cheese - or just for when you want something lighter if you've eaten a bit too much over Christmas and New Year.

A bowl of brown rice

These days I rarely buy white rice. I can remember finding brown rice quite off-putting, as if it was some extreme of of health-foodism (I certaibly wouldn't have bought brown pasta then either.) Now I love the  nuttiness and flavour of brown rice, even if the extra cooking time can be a pain - and even my five-year-old nephew likes it. This recipe is for a sustaining, soothing bowl of brown rice, turned into a complete meal.