With September in full swing here in London, whispers of autumn are beginning to emerge. The air smells more earthy and crisp, which the trees seem to be embracing as they display the first of flecks of gold.

Nothing says the change in season more, though, than the earlier sunsets. It’s a nightly reminder for me to audit my cool temperature wardrobe and finally look into booking a winter escape. It also makes me realise how much I took the longer days for granted during the warmer months. For now, with only a small window between the time I get home from work and when the light becomes too low to take photos, I no longer have the luxury to prepare and shoot dishes that for sure would be outpaced by the onward march of the setting sun.

But this has turned out to be a positive. I now find myself re-evaluating the meaning of a ‘quick recipe’. If I can get it cooked, plated and photographed while the camera is still happy to snap out a decent picture, then it fulfills the criteria. This means super speedy cooking. This means recipes like this stir-fry, where frozen corn is a saviour and above-average quantities of aromatics carry the dish in terms of flavour. And in the spirit of swift cooking, I ate this on top of cous cous. How quicker can you get?