Spice 'n' sliders: Spicy pumpkin soup and lamb sliders are a delicious combo

photo Spicy pumpkin soup and grilled lamb sliders served on pita bread is a quick, easy-to-make meal that lets you be creative with different combinations of flavors.

Courters' Kitchen

This monthly cooking series features husband and wife team Barry and Kelley Courter.

BARRY SAYS: Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Lamb Sliders is another of those dishes that Kelley came up with seemingly out of nowhere and has quickly become a family favorite. I say "out of nowhere," but the truth is it could have come from the hours she spends online, pouring over cookbooks, or from any of the dozens of food magazines she reads.

KELLEY: I don't know where it came from, but I like the combination of the lamb and the pumpkin and the spices. And I especially like that you can come up with all kinds of combinations. You could add fresh diced apples to the soup, for example.

BARRY: Yeah, hey, why didn't you do that?

KELLEY: Next time. I made this a few weeks ago and we fried the lamb patties and served them on Indian naan bread. This time we grilled them and put them on pita bread. I also grilled the pita briefly to get it crunchy. I think I prefer the naan version.

BARRY: I liked them both. The cranberry Stilton cheese also was a nice touch.

KELLEY: That's what I mean when I say you can mix in a lot of different things. It's a very quick and easy meal with a lot of ways to be creative.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

3 shallots, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin seed

2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 can pumpkin (14 ounces)

1/2 can sweet potato casserole (or use your leftovers)

2 tablespoons prepared Vindaloo (an Indian curry) sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Yogurt or cream to garnish

Sauté shallots in butter till wilted. Add curry powder and cumin seed. Stir till fragrant. Add broth, pumpkin, sweet potato and Vindaloo sauce. Simmer for about 20 minutes. When ready to serve, add coriander and top with yogurt or cream. Serves 6.

Lamb Sliders

1 pound fresh-ground lamb

1 pound fresh-ground chuck

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash garlic/herb seasoning

2 tablespoons mint, freshly chopped

2 tablespoons coriander, freshly chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary, freshly chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons oregano, freshly chopped

6 sundried tomato pieces, minced

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and form into small patties. Grill or fry to your degree of doneness. Serve with your choice of breads and toppings. We chose pita bread, cranberry Stilton cheese and a combination of torn spinach, iceberg lettuce and coriander. Makes about 15 small patties.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6354.

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