Quarantine recipes: Tom Colicchio's lamb and eggplant with yogurt relish

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Celebrity Chef Tom Colicchio discusses how the coronavirus has impacted the restaurant industry and what he’s doing to help.

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Stuck in a dinner rut as the weeks of quarantine wear on? Get inspired with a simple, savory recipe for lamb and eggplant from celebrity chef Tom Colicchio.

The “Top Chef” judge and producer explained that it’s the dash of Greek yogurt relish that truly packs a punch and makes this dish divine — even for young, picky eaters.

“Lately, in the restaurant as well as the home, I’ve started using a lot more yogurt in dishes,” Colicchio told Fox News in a recent interview. “When [Two Good Greek Yogurt] reached out to me to create some recipes, I was like ‘Oh, this is easy, because I already use a lot of yogurt at home.’”

Cooking with Greek yogurt "provides that richness that you’re looking for... because yogurt naturally has that tang to it," Tom Colicchio says. (Tom Colicchio)

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Conducting a taste test with his family, Colicchio said that his the recipes needed the approval of his children, who are something of yogurt connoisseurs.

“And then the recipes are some variations on things that I’ve [made] before. Some twists on traditional things like tzatziki… it was a lot of fun to do.”

The celebrity chef experimented with a recipe for lamb and eggplant with yogurt relish while cooking at home. (Tom Colicchio)

Ready to eat? Colicchio adds that the recipe only takes 40 minutes to make — and here's what you'll need:

Lamb and Eggplant with Yogurt Relish

Serves 2

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Ingredients:

4 to 6 lamb chops
1 eggplant, halved
2 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 small container of Two Good Greek plain low-fat yogurt (5.3 ounces)
½ cucumber – chopped
½ red onion – chopped
½ lime – juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil

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Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 F. Slice eggplant in half and score flesh deeply in a diamond cross-hatch pattern with the tip of a knife. On a baking sheet, arrange eggplant with flesh side up. Generously season with salt and three tablespoons of olive oil all over, and into cuts. Then, place sliced garlic through cuts.
Roast eggplant in oven for 20 minutes. Then, remove from oven, seasoning with one tablespoon of chili powder. Return eggplant to oven for an extra 20 minutes, or until it is soft, with a deep brown caramel color.
Next, spoon yogurt into a large bowl, adding chopped cucumber and red onion. Seasoning with salt and lime juice, mix it all together.

In medium sauté pan, heat olive oil. Season lamb chops with salt and pepper, searing for two to three minutes on each side until done.
To serve, plate ½ eggplant and mash the insides, seasoning with an additional teaspoon of olive oil. Spoon yogurt chutney onto plate, and top with two to three lamb chops. Enjoy!