At this time of year, I always think that we’re in a sort of suspended animation.

The summer is over, the kids are back at school, the clocks have changed and it gets dark early, but it’s not yet winter and not cold enough to unearth the heaters from the garage – it’s like the lull before the Christmas storm.

Although it’s nice to see the back of salads and barbecues for a while, I don’t feel ready for thick soups and heavy winter stews, and as I’m in the middle of my annual Christmas cake baking marathon, I’m looking for some simple things to cook.

And it doesn’t come simpler than salmon with hot tomato salsa. Salmon is plentiful, relatively inexpensive and, as they keep telling us, good for you.

Just fry an onion, add some chopped fresh tomatoes, capers, parsley and seasoning, then grill the salmon and you have the fastest supper ever.

Pasta is the obvious choice for a simple meal. Add a pack of sausages, some peppers and a tin of tomatoes and you have a feast.

I’ve got a thing about cappelletti at the moment because I love their quirky shape, but any pasta twists, tubes or shapes would do just as well.

Sloppy Joe and hamburger pie are two retro American favourites. SJs are basically spoonfuls of thick, beefy, ragù-like sauce served in a toasted burger bun, and kids love them – probably because they’re so messy. Hamburger pie is basically the same as Sloppy Joe but baked in a dish.

Not so messy, but the junior members of my family love it. It can be topped with pastry, potato or bread, but as we are talking hamburger, I think it should be bread. Sprinkle the top with some cheese and it becomes a cheeseburger pie.

My recipe is really a cross between these two old favourites.

Finally, an easy chicken curry (a current favourite with my other half). Brush some chicken breast halves with a mixture of oil, curry powder, ginger and black pepper and leave them to sit for a while, then just fry them.

Serve them with a curry sauce, which takes not much more than five minutes to make, some confetti rice and supper’s ready – easy peasy!

Salmon with hot tomato salsa

(Serves 4)

4 pieces of salmon fillet, about 200g each
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 large tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and diced
4 tbsp capers, drained
1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
Pinch each of sugar and salt

Run your fingers over the salmon and pull out any remaining bones with tweezers, then brush the salmon generously with olive oil, sprinkle it with lemon juice and grind some black pepper over it. Lightly oil a grill pan and put in the fish, skin side down.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the onion until it is soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and fry for a minute more, then stir in the tomatoes, capers and parsley, a pinch each of sugar and salt and a grind of black pepper.

Toss everything together until hot, but don’t let the tomatoes become mushy. Cover and keep warm.

Grill the salmon until it’s opaque and flakes easily when tested with a knife.

Transfer to warm plates, spoon over the salsa and serve with sautéed or small buttery potatoes.

Chicken in curry cream sauce

(Serves 4)

4 tbsp sunflower oil
Curry powder, mild or hot according to taste
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
Ground black pepper
4 chicken breast halves
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
250ml chicken stock
165ml tin coconut milk
2 tbsp mango chutney, chopped
Pinch each salt and sugar
Confetti rice and roughly chopped fresh coriander to serve

Mix together the oil, one tablespoon of curry powder, one teaspoon of grated ginger and a grind of black pepper, then brush the mixture all over the chicken and leave to marinate for at least half an hour.

Heat a nonstick skillet, add the chicken and fry over medium heat, turning until browned and cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Add the onion and fry until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic, the rest of the ginger and a tablespoon or two of curry powder according to taste, and fry for one more minute.

Pour in the stock and coconut milk and add the mango chutney. Bring to the boil, add a pinch of salt and sugar and let it bubble until it has reduced and thickened slightly, then taste and season as needed.

Spoon the confetti rice on to warm plates, top with the chicken breasts, drizzle over a little of the curry, sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve the rest of the sauce separately.

For confetti rice: Cook the rice according to your usual method and, when it’s nearly done, stir in a handful of frozen peas, a handful of frozen or canned sweetcorn, a diced red pepper, some chopped fresh coriander or parsley and a good grind of black pepper and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Pasta with sausages and peppers

(Serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 small Maltese or 8 large pork sausages, skins removed
1 each small red, yellow and green peppers, deseeded
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
Pinch of sugar
150ml chicken or beef stock
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp shredded basil leaves, plus extra for serving
400g cooked pasta twists or tubes, any variety
Grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the onion until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and fry for a minute more.

Break the sausages into small chunks, add them to the pan and fry, stirring and turning, until they begin to brown. Quarter the peppers, cut them into small strips, add them to the pan and cook for another two minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, dried herbs and a good pinch of sugar, stir in the chicken stock, season well with salt and pepper and add the basil.

Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer gently while the pasta is cooking.

Once the pasta is done, simply pour it into the skillet with the sauce, mix well, then divide between warm bowls, sprinkle with basil and serve with grated Parmesan.

Sloppy Joe hamburger pie

(Serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
750g minced beef
6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
250ml passata
150ml beef stock
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Butter
8 slices from a sesame seed loaf
2 heaped tbsp mature Cheddar cheese (optional)

Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the onion, celery and green pepper over medium heat until they have softened. Stir in the beef and bacon, then fry until the beef loses its raw colour, breaking it up with a fork. Cook, stirring and turning, for five minutes.

Add the passata, stock, ketchup, Worcester sauce and sugar and season well with salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is very thick, for about 20 minutes. Pour the sauce into a baking dish or divide it equally between four individual gratin dishes.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Lightly butter the bread and cut the slices in half, then arrange them on top of the meat.

Sprinkle with the cheese, if using, and bake for about 30 minutes until brown and bubbling.