Maple Pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the pecans, cinnamon, xylitol (or sweetener of choice), maple syrup, 0-calorie maple syrup, vanilla extract, butter, and kosher salt. Stir well to coat the pecans evenly.
3. Spread the coated pecans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the pecans are fragrant and golden brown. Stir them halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Alternatively, you can pan fry these.
5. Remove the pecans from the oven and let them cool completely. Once cooled, they will become crunchy.
6. While the pecans are cooling, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients.

Black Garlic Cashew Ranch Dressing

1. Soak the cashews overnight in cold water or for about 1h in freshly boiled water.
2. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
3. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, pepper or vinegar to your taste.

Prepare the Veggies

1. Clean the mushrooms and slice them into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the onions and carrots. Cut the Romaine hearts into bite-sized pieces.
   Chop both types of garlic.

Fry Onions and Mushrooms

1. Spray a small pan with some olive oil and heat on medium. Add the onions and slowly caramelise them. Don’t rush this. They should become soft first, then golden brown.
2. Spray a large pan with some olive oil and heat on high. Add the mushrooms and fry until beautifully golden brown and crispy.
   Add both types of garlic and fry a little longer until the garlic smells delicious.
   Season with salt and pepper at the end.

Make Sourdough Croutons

1. Slice or rip the sourdough bread into bite sized pieces. In a bowl, spray them with more olive oil and mix with your hands. Fry them, turning often, until golden brown.

Assemble

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the baby leaves, sliced carrots, and Romaine hearts and top with some of the dressing. Combine thoroughly, so every leaf is coated.
2. Top with blackberries, raspberries, candied pecans, fried mushrooms, onions, and croutons. Crumble the blue cheese over.
3. Drizzle a little more of the black garlic ranch dressing over the salad, using as much as desired.