Yay, it's Cabbage! (quick)

1/2 large head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2 links italian-style or other sausage, peeled and crumbled or sliced
1 apple, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 quarter lemon

Over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until limp. Add sausage and cook for 2 minutes. Add cabbage and all other ingredients except the lemon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until cabbage begins to soften. Stir occasionally. Uncover, add lemon, and cook for 10 more minutes or until cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally. Taste and correct with a little bit of balsamic vinegar, salt, or sugar as necessary.

This is a fairly complete one-dish meal, especially with popovers on the side or some other bready thing. It's also a nice shade of deep pink, as are most of my experimental recipes for some reason. My theory is that there are too few good recipes for pink and purple foods like beets, beet greens, and red cabbage, and so I'm disproportionately forced to come up with such recipes on my own. Anybody can cook a normal-colored food, but it takes some doing to serve up something that invariably ends up looking like shredded yard flamingo.

Flamboyance notwithstanding, cabbage and sausage is extremely tasty and this recipe is extremely easy and quick.