in season: roast veg and orange salad

During a glorious weekend of family visiting and staying and eating and staying out of the cold, windy weather, I made the most delicious salad of warm roast veggies and oranges.

Not a picture of vegetable and orange salad? No. Because I also had some wine. I'll get back to orange syrup shortly.

My salad was to be a fennel, haloumi and orange salad. I had never tasted fennel before, and when I did, I spat it across the kitchen decided my palate wasn't sophisticated enough. Please tell me how to use fennel. So, instead, I did the following:
roasted three beetroots, peeled and quartered, with a little olive oil and salt and pepper
roasted large diced pumpkin and eggplant in a hot oven
opened and drained a can of chickpeas
ordered requested hubby grill a block of haloumi that I had cut into strips
caramelised (ooh, fancy) some leeks that I'd cut in half
segmented two oranges
made a lazy dressing of olive oil, apple cider vinegar and Australian mustard
threw arranged it on a platter one handed while holding a glass of wine. sprinkled over the chickpeas and dressing.

 It really was delicious, and looked very pretty, which you can't tell from the photo.

I actually segmented too many oranges for the salad, so when I got up in the morning I made a big batch of pancakes, and some orange syrup to go with them.

The orange syrup was simply a matter of bringing equal parts fresh orange juice and sugar to the boil, then simmering until it thickens. I'm sure you could be posh and put some grog or spices or something in it, but I was hungover hungry. And, I made the best pancakes of my life! Accidentally. because I didn't have buttermilk and used a yoghurt/milk combination instead. I call them,
Serendipity Pancakes
get this:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 1/2 cups natural yoghurt (I used my first batch of home-made which was unsweetened)
1 cup whole milk

do this:
Mix dry ingredients in a big bowl.
Whisk wet ingredients together.
Combine wet into dry, mixing to a smooth batter. Add more milk if it isn't runny enough.
Fry blobfulls of your desired size over a medium-high heat. In butter.
Serve warm with sweet orange syrup. Or butter. Enjoy!