KITCHEN LOVE

By: Mike Cordeiro, AyA Kitchens

Chef Dev has an energy and love for life that is truly infectious. His ability to adapt and evolve coupled with his “No days off” mentality, has made him a well-known name in Greater Toronto Area households. The busy chef, who was a regular on the television’s Cityline found himself doing cooking segments from home after the pandemic hit which in turn evolved into creating dynamic content for his buzzing social media accounts and never looked back. When Chef Dev reached out to AyA to help plan a kitchen remodel we were already fans and very excited to personalize the space to his needs. The focus was to create a more functional and camera-friendly space to cook and film his segments. His compact condo kitchen needed better kitchen storage solutions, to maximize space with character that reflects the colourful image of Chef Dev and his amazing food. AyA expanded the cabinetry to add a much-needed pantry cabinet for food storage. A cooktop and built-in wall oven below gave a modern and sleek look. A perfect space for Chef Dev to cook up delicious meals and do what he loves. WATCH THE KITCHEN BEFORE & AFTER VIDEO!

Try Chef Dev’s colourful and delicious Shrimp Tostada, a signature dish created for AyA Kitchens, and we were flattered. WATCH THE VIDEO!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb jumbo shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
1 Tomato (diced)
½ orange pepper (diced)
½ onion (finely diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp chili powder,
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
¾ tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
Cilantro leaves and Radish slices (garnish)

1. Pre-heat cast iron pan to a high heat.
2. Finely slice green onions and parsley. Cut eggplant in half. Remove rind from the squash. Thinly slice the green tomatoes. Leave Kale whole.
3. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Coat cast iron pan with thin layer of olive oil. Grill tuna to desired level to doneness. At the same time add the squash to the pan as it will take a little longer to cook. Season with salt.
4. Drizzle eggplant and kale with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill until tender.
5. Plate the kale, eggplant and squash first. Add tuna and green tomatoes on top. Garnish with green onions and parsley
6. Drizzle with Salsa Verde, serve and enjoy!

Find more delicious recipes by Devan Rajkumar in his cookbook Mad Love: Big Flavors Made to Share, from South Asia to the West Indies available at Indigo, Amazon and other retailers. Follow Chef Dev on Instagram @chefdevan and his social media channels to see his love and passion for food, culture and travel.

Planning a kitchen remodel? Book a free Toronto kitchen design consultation with one of our AyA designers. They will guide you through the reno process while providing insightful kitchen design ideas. Feel free to visit our Mississauga kitchen showroom at 1551 Caterpillar Road or our Toronto kitchen showroom location at 1290 Castlefield Ave to experience all the door styles, finishes and accessories. Let’s start designing your dream kitchen today!