The darker evenings have succeeded in pointing me towards more substantial main courses, deeper flavours and a bit of long, slow cooking at the weekend. But this change in the year doesn't mean that I want to spend my entire evening making supper when I finish work. Yes, I want the bold, sweet and earthy flavours associated with autumn cooking but I still want food without fuss. Here, then, are five recipes that are perfect for this time of year, from simple sweet and spicy ribs to a juice-laden plum and almond crumble.

Pork ribs with honey and anise

Here's a truly sticky ribs recipe but without the ubiquitous black treacle and tomato purée. Sweet, slightly hot and absurdly sticky, they will fill the kitchen with that warm, aniseed smell you often encounter in good Chinese restaurants.

serves 4

1.5kg meaty pork ribs

thickish honey - 6 tbs

oyster sauce - 3 heaped tbs

garlic- 4 cloves

dried chilli flakes - 1 tsp

whole star-anise - 4

salt flakes - 1/4 tsp

black peppercorns - 1/4 tsp

To make the marinade, spoon the honey and oyster sauce into a roasting tin or baking dish. Peel and chop the garlic and add it with the chilli flakes, star anise and salt. Grind the peppercorns roughly and add them to the marinade. Toss the ribs in the marinade then set aside for an hour or so - even overnight. Roast the ribs at 175°c/gas 4 for an hour and 15 minutes, turning them in their sauce from time to time. Keep an eye on them - they tend to burn easily because of the honey. They are ready when the meat is tender, though not falling off the bone, and the ribs glossy with sauce. Serve with rice, spooning over sauce from the pan.

Bulgur wheat with aubergines and mint

Bulgur is one of those mild, warming grains that soothes and satisfies. I value it for its nubbly texture and nutty flavour. This, to me, is supper, but others may like to use it aside something else such as grilled chicken or a gravy-rich stew.

serves 2 with seconds

olive oil - 6 tbs

a small onion

a bay leaf

aubergines - 2 small ones

garlic - 2 large cloves

bulgur wheat - 225g

vegetable stock - 500ml

tomatoes - 4

pine kernels - 3 tbs, toasted

mint - 15-20 leaves

Warm the olive oil in a shallow pan, peel and finely slice the onion and let it cook slowly in the oil with the bay leaf. When the onion is soft and pale gold, add the aubergine, cut into 3cm pieces, and the peeled and chopped garlic. Let the aubergine cook, adding more oil if necessary, until it is golden and soft. Pour in the bulgur wheat and the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then leave to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes till the wheat is tender and almost dry. Halfway through cooking roughly chop the tomatoes and add them, then, once the wheat is cooked (it should still be nubbly and have some bite), stir in the toasted pine kernels and chopped mint leaves. Check the seasoning; it will need both salt and pepper.

Baked taleggio mushrooms

Supper doesn't come any easier than this. I like a spoonful of brown rice with this, too, or some crisp and sizzling saut&ecute;ed potatoes.

serves 2 as a main dish

large, flat mushrooms - 6

olive oil

tarragon vinegar - 6 tsps

200g taleggio

Set the oven at 200°c/gas 6. Wipe the mushrooms, then snap out their stalks. Lay them snugly in a roasting tin, season with salt and pepper then pour 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of vinegar into each hollow. If the vinegar has a few tarragon leaves in it, add a couple to each mushroom, too. Slice the cheese and divide between the mushrooms. Bake until the cheese has melted and mushrooms are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Salad of salmon and scallops

A salad of raw fish and shellfish 'cooked' by a brief marinade in citrus juice. This is based on the method for ceviche but with the sour, sharp and hot ingredients of the Thai kitchen.

serves 4

scallops - 6 large ones

salmon -300g

limes - 2

lemon grass - 1 thick stem

coriander - small bunch

nam pla (fish sauce) - 1tbs

sugar - a pinch

chilli - a small hot, red one

mint leaves - a few sprigs

rocket or watercress leaves

Make the dressing by squeezing the juice from the limes into a small bowl. Peel the outside leaves from the lemon grass so you are left with the tender core. Very finely shred into paper-thin rounds, and add to the lime juice. Chop most of the coriander and stir it in, saving a little for the salad. Add the sugar, nam pla and the finely chopped chilli and a pinch of salt.

Slice the scallops into three horizontally, and cut the salmon into thin strips, no thicker than your little finger. Lay the salmon in a glass or china dish and pour over the dressing, leave for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add the scallops just 10 minutes before you intend to serve the salad.

Wash and dry the salad leaves and arrange them with the dressed fish and scallops. Scatter over the remaining coriander and chopped mint leaves.

Almond greengage and/or plum crumble

I know it's a drag stoning plums but I really think you have to. There is nothing quite so boring as having to continually spit them out when you are eating.

serves 4-6

plums, greengages or a mixture - 1kg

caster sugar - 3 or 4 tbs, depending on how sweet your fruit is

For the almond crumble:

plain flour - 120g

butter - 85g, cut into cubes

unrefined golden caster sugar - 4 tbs

ground almonds - 4 tbs

Set the oven at 175°c/gas 4. Rinse and stone the plums, removing any stalks as you go. Toss the fruit in a deep baking dish with the sugar. Whizz the flour and butter in a food processor, then, when the mixture resembles fine, fresh breadcrumbs, add the sugar and almonds. Tip on top of the fruit and bake till the fruit is bubbling under the pale, golden crumble. About 40-45 minutes.

The wine list

Pork ribs with honey and anise

2002 Neil Ellis Chardonnay, Stellenbosch (£8.99, Tesco).

I'd rather drink a full-bodied white with this dish than a red, as tannin might clash with some of the flavours. Ellis is one of South Africa's leading winemakers, and this understated citrus fruity, subtly oaked Chardonnay is a triumph.

Baked taleggio mushrooms

2002 Duc de Belmonde Cabernet Franc, Vin de Pays d'Oc (£4.99, Waitrose).

Cabernet Franc is not a grape you see very often in the South of France, but this grassy, juicy, elegant, unoaked, cool-climate number from the hills of Limoux tastes like a good Loire red.

Bulgur wheat with aubergines and mint

2002 Yalumba Riesling (£5.99, Safeway).

Just the sort of thing that Australia can do with Riesling under £6. Fresh, floral and lime-scented with plenty of body, zest and acidity and a hint of sweetness.

Salad of salmon and scallops

2002 Origin Garnacha, Calatayud (£4.99, Threshers).

You might find the match a little on the wild side, but this soft, perfumed, strawberry fruity, come-and-get-it Grenache from Spain is a really good match with salmon, especially if you serve it well chilled.

Almond, greengage and/or plum crumble

2000 Tesco's Finest Botrytis Semillon (£4.99).

A no-holds-barred Aussie sticky, with masses of honeyed botrytis character, a hint of vanilla oak and sweet, luscious flavours of marmalade, raisins and dried apricots.

Tim Atkin

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