On New Day Northwest, I shared my holiday entertaining tips and recipes with the always faboo host Margaret Larson. This holiday season make your menu and party planning easier, by doing as much as you can ahead of time! Keep your festive cheer intact with these d’lish appetizers and cocktail recipes.

My DIY Spiced Red Vermouth is an easy infusion to make and the longer you let it set, the more the flavors marry. It’s versatile and works well in a Manhattan or Negroni cocktail. In my Ruby Spiced Martini, the infused vermouth plays well with the gin, pomegranate liqueur, and bitters.

And what’s a party without deviled eggs? My Sriracha Deviled Eggs incorporates the spicy kick and color of Sriracha for the filling, while the cucumber and shrimp toppers balance it out with a fresh note (for a vegetarian version, leave out the shrimp). These eggs will be first to fly off the table!

Dips are always a great party staple and my White Bean Dip with Green Olive and Lemon Tapenade will be an instant hit. This dip highlights Mediterranean flavors and is on the healthier side. I love serving this with artisan crackers and flat breads.

Don’t forget to stock up fun foodie finds at my Holiday Extravaganza & Open House, on Saturday, December 14th from 11:00am – 7:00pm! There’ll be plenty of samples to try and goodies to buy for all your fave food lovers and cocktail enthusiasts, including my “Jingle Bell” Cheese Balls, Dish D’Lish® Cocktailor, Liquid Kitchen Golden Era Bitters, and more. We’ll also be selling my ever popular “Over 21” Real Fruit Cakes made with Maker’s Mark – the perfect stocking stuffer!

And for the techie, my Sips & Apps has been chosen as one of Chronicle Book’s best nine holiday ebooks for their special “Tis the Season Sale.” For the entire month of December, ebook versions of Sips & Apps (available on Kindle, iBookstore, NOOK, Google play, and Kobo) are marked 75% off – $2.99. Now that’s a bargain!

For more great cocktail and appetizer recipes, make sure to check out my recipes featured in the Seattle Times, including my Sticky Pomegranate Chicken Wings, Festive Sparkling Rum Punch, and more. Happy Holidays! -Kathy

Photo by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen.

Ruby Spiced Martini
A sassy holiday gin-play on the Manhattan crafted with Martin Miller’s Gin, pomegranate liqueur, an easy to make spiced sweet vermouth, and a dash of bitters. For some fun bling, dust the cocktail with Liquid Kitchen Edible Gold. For more great cocktail recipes visit www.liquidkitchen.com

Makes 1 cocktail.

2 ounces (1/4 cup) Martin Miller’s Gin
1/2 ounce PAMA pomegranate liqueur
1/2 ounce (2 Tbsp.) Spiced Vermouth (recipe follows)
1 dash Liquid Kitchen or your favorite bitters
Garnish: orange disc squeeze, an Amarena cherry on a clear pick, Liquid Kitchen Edible Gold

Measure the gin, liqueur and Spiced Vermouth into a mixing glass. Fill three-quarters full with ice and add bitters. Stir with a bar spoon until well chilled. Serve strained up in a chilled martini glass. Squeeze an
orange disc over the drink and discard. Garnish with an Amarena cherry on a pick and Liquid Kitchen gold flakes.

Spiced Vermouth
The longer you let this sit, the more the flavors marry. This is also delicious in a Martin Miller’s Gin Negroni or Martinez cocktail. For a video on how to make this, visit www.LiquidKitchen.tv.

Makes 16 ounces.

2 cups sweet, red vermouth
1/4 cup spiced rum
6 strips orange peel
8 pieces clove
4 pieces allspice
2 slices fresh ginger
1/3 cup fresh OR frozen cranberries

Combine all ingredients in a pretty bottle. Let infuse at least 24 hours. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Store refrigerated for up to one month.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®

Photo by Kathy Casey Food Studios.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs Crunchy Cucumber and Shrimp
Sriracha adds a spicy kick and a beautiful color to these festive eggs. The shrimp and cucumber topping adds a fresh note and fun texture. Be sure to use eggs that are at least 10 days old or the shells will not peel off easily. For more D’Lish Deviled Egg recipes visit www.dlishdeviledeggs.com or check out Kathy’s new D’Lish Deviled Eggs Cookbook.

Makes 24

1 dozen hard-cooked eggs (procedure follows)

Filling
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons finely minced celery
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Topping
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup chopped cooked shrimp, well drained
2 tablespoons finely minced English cucumber
1 tablespoon finely minced red pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Garnish: extra Sriracha sauce and cilantro leaves (if desired)

Halve the eggs lengthwise and transfer the yolks to a mixing bowl. Set the egg white halves on a platter, cover, and refrigerate.

With a fork, mash the yolks to a smooth consistency. Add the mayonnaise and Sriracha, and mix until smooth. (You can also do this in a mixing bowl with a whip attachment.) Stir in the green onion and celery.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain or large star tip, then pipe the mixture evenly into the egg white halves. Or fill the eggs with a spoon, dividing the filling evenly.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, stir the vinegar and sugar together until dissolved. Add the shrimp, cucumber, pepper and cilantro, and toss until well coated. Top each egg half with about 1 heaping teaspoon of the mixture. For extra flavor and spice top each egg with a dot of Sriracha and garnish with a tiny cilantro leaf if desired. Serve immediately.

Hard-Cooked Eggs
1 dozen large chicken eggs

Place the eggs in a large nonreactive saucepan and add cold water to 1 inch above the eggs. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Remove from the stove and run cool water over the eggs in the pan until they are cooled. When cool, carefully peel them under running water.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

White Bean Dip Layered with Green Olive and Lemon Tapenade
I love to make the tapenade with those brilliant green Castelvetrano olives available at olive bars. Serve with tasty artisan crackers from Essential Baking Company.

Makes 3 cups, or about 8 to 10 servings

Dip
1 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained well
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon very finely minced lemon zest
1 teaspoon very finely minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Tapenade
1 1/2 cups pitted manzanilla or other green olives, drained
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon very finely minced lemon zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or oil from sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, drained

Garnish: extra-virgin olive oil and fresh rosemary sprig

To make the dip: In a food processor, combine the drained beans, cheese, if using, and garlic, and process for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest, rosemary and salt. With the motor running, add the oil through the feed tube in a slow stream. Process until smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if desired. Store the dip, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

To make the tapenade: In a food processor, combine the olives, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and oil, and pulse till the ingredients are thoroughly chopped, but still have some coarseness to them. Add the parsley and sundried tomatoes and pulse until just integrated. The tapenade can be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

To serve: Put the dip in a pretty bowl, smooth out the surface, then layer the tapenade on top. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, and garnish with the rosemary.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®