The doorbell startled Evie as she fixated on breading the tofu slices perfectly. She loved making Susan’s Pistachio Crusted Tofu recipe and always got lost in the smell of the ingredients.

Dusting her hands quickly over the sink while checking her reflection in the window, she listened to make sure the iPod was still on tonight’s playlist. Then she half-jogged to the door, slowing as she approached so she didn’t sound too desperate.

Opening the door, she noticed he looked even hotter by the light of the hallway fluorescents. “Dang…how does he DO that?” she puzzled.

“I hope you don’t mind, I brought you a cupcake for dessert.” Mitch said. She just about swooned a little too noticeably, marveling at his thoughtfulness and his wonderfully butch name.

As he walked past her toward the kitchen, she caught a whiff of his day; the grunge of the subway, his Thai lunch, and the smell of his new car. She inhaled quietly. Yep, “the only thing that smells better than him is my Green Meanie Martini,” she mused.

He sauntered to the fridge looking every bit a cool Instagram. Opening the door, he paused while peering at the many fancy jars and bottles. He shifted to the other foot then asked, “Don’t you have any Bud Light?”

Making a Green Meanie Martini

Make the ginger syrup and kale juice ahead of time and refrigerate until needed.

  • 1 ounce ginger syrup (recipe below)
  • 1 ounce kale/apple juice (how to do this in a blender below)
  • 2 ounces limoncello (or 1 to 1 ratio of limoncello and vodka)

Add syrup, juice and limoncello to a shaker with ice. Shake, pour into martini glass and garnish with lemon.

Ginger Simple Syrup

  • 3/4 to 1 cup thinly sliced ginger, no need to peel
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups water
  1. Bring all ingredients to a soft boil, turn heat down to medium-high and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. It’s done when it reduces by about half, bubbles like a syrup, and a taste test confirms a strong ginger flavor.
  2. Strain into seal-able container and refrigerate until needed. Yields about a cup of syrup.

Kale/Apple Juice via a Blender

  • 1 bundle of kale leaves, torn from stem (about 14 leaves)
  • 1 large apple, chopped (your choice of flavor)
  • 1 cup water
  1. Place items in blender as follows: chopped apple, then kale, then water. Blend until very smooth with no visible chunks. I use a Blendtec and have not tried this in a normal blender.
  2. Strain resulting smoothie in a nut bag or paint strainer bag over a big bowl. Paint strainer bags are about 1/4 the prices of a nut bag and you can get them at the hardware store.
  3. Go slow, if it splatters on you, it can stain. Twist the bag like you would a garbage bag and slowly squeeze the juice from the pulp.
  4. Pour juice in a jar and refrigerate until needed. Attempt to clean the bag. You may save the kale pulp and use in soups or smoothies.

TIP: I used Lacinato Kale for it’s milder flavor but you could try other kales of course.