V.K.Rees Photography

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich

vkrees — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:09:42 +0000

Happy Valentine’s day y’all. =)

I’m a busy lady this week so today’s post will be brief.

The challenge for this post: Use a pink background. It’s definitely not my go-to color palette.

Directions:
1. Freeze 2-3 ripe bananas.
2. Make your favorite white or yellow cake in a whoopie pie pan and use coconut extract instead of vanilla extract.
3. Take the bananas out of the freezer and stick them in the food processor. Blend, blend, blend.
4. Add strawberry extract to the banana mix, 1 tsp at a time, until you are happy with the flavor.
5. Add beet juice to the banana mix, 1 tsp at a time, until you are happy with the color. Don’t worry, you can’t taste the beet flavor.
6. Spread a generous amount of the banana mix on one of the cookies/cakes and stick it in the freezer until the ice cream refreezes.
7. Put a cookie/cake on top of the ice cream to form a sandwich.

Oh, hey, check out my post from this weekend. I was lucky enough to get to photograph the talented ladies of Desert Shark. =)

Desert Sharks

vkrees — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:37:24 +0000

This weekend I got to take pictures of the super talented ladies from Desert Sharks. Check out their music; you will love it. =)

Two Minute Coconut Cake

vkrees — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:12:01 +0000

As I have mentioned many times, I try to challenge myself to do something new in each post. This time it was to work with a white background. I used a lighting tent and a few off-camera flashes. It’s not my usual style but I’m pretty pleased with the results. =)

This single serving, gluten free, two minute coconut cake is super easy and delicious. The coconut flour has a really unique texture and just melts in your mouth. At one point I said that if you ever make anything from this site it should be the two minute carrot cake; now I’m gonna have to say it should be this. I eat it for breakfast. =D

Ingredients for the Coconut Cake

3 Tbs coconut flour
2 Tsp sugar
1 packet stevia (optional but cake will not be very sweet without it)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs non-dairy milk
1.5 Tbs coconut milk
1/3 cup silken tofu

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir vigorously until combined.
Microwave 2 – 3 minutes.
Eat by itself or serve with vanilla cashew icing and a sprinkle of shaved coconut.

* Note that microwaving times will vary. The cake should be firm to the touch. Microwave 30-60 seconds longer if need be.
* It should also be mentioned that this cake expands quite a bit so use a larger bowl or cup.
*For those that care, this coconut cake has 310 calories.

Marshall jumped in the lighting tent and I snapped a shot of him right before he sneezed. How cute is he? I totally made this my desktop background.

If you’d like, you can make it your desktop image too. =)

Check it out! My photo is in the Feb/March issue of BUST magazine. I photographed Isa Chandra’s apple pie and olive oil crust. It was SO tasty! You can find the recipe in BUST mag (obviously) or in Vegan Pie in the Sky. BUST and Isa rule!

Candied Strawberries

vkrees — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:24:57 +0000

I know, I know; this is an unusual time of year to be talking about strawberries. But something about these candied strawberries reminded me of Valentine’s day, so that’s my excuse. I’m looking forward to making them in the summer when strawberries are at their prime.

As I have mentioned previously, I try to challenge myself to do something new in each post. This time I wanted to try using only artificial light and dabble in some high speed photography. This was the result. I love playing around with new lighting setups. =)

The recipe for candied strawberries can be found on The Secret Life of a Chef’s Wife. These are gorgeous, tasty, and surprisingly simple to make.

Oh, and here is a picture of Marshall trying his best to hunt pigeons from the windowsill.

Two Minute Breakfast Carrot Cake à La Mode

vkrees — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:16:13 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I had a really awful cold for the first 10 days of 2012 and couldn’t smell or cook a thing. But I’m feeling better now and back to work!

You may notice that the photos on this post are unlike all the previous ones. I try to challenge myself to do something new in each post. Usually that means trying out a unique lighting technique or camera trick but this time it meant doing something really different. I’ve been told, a lot, that I should include more about myself on the blog. So, I thought I’d give it a try – here are a few pictures of mornings in my apartment.

A big thanks to Roy for letting me stick the camera in his face all morning. =)

I’m weird about breakfast. It’s not that I don’t like it, I’m just picky about what I will eat first thing in the morning. Here is the criteria:

Something kinda decadent. Sweet and comforting.
Not unhealthy. I don’t want to start the day off all wrong.
Not heavy. I don’t want to feel gross for the rest of the day.
Will keep me full for awhile.
Super easy to make. I’m lazy first thing in the morning.
Super fast to make. I’ve got things to do.

What I’ve got here is a recipe for single serving carrot cake that literally takes 2-3 minutes to make in the morning. It’s ridiculously good! If you make anything from my site, make this. Seriously.

The ice cream is made out of bananas so it is super healthy. You will want to start making a big batch of it 24 hours in advance. Don’t be scared. It’s not labour intensive, it just takes awhile to freeze. This recipe for banana ice cream will be enough for 6-9 servings of Breakfast Carrot Cake. If you only want ice cream for one serving, make the banana ice cream with just 1 banana, 1/16 tsp of vanilla, and a very small pinch of salt. The recipe for banana ice cream is all over the internet so I’m certainly not claiming to be the one who came up with it! It is a vegan staple at this point. Saying I came up with it would be like saying I came up with the recipe for grilled tofu.

Banana Ice Cream Ingredients

1 bundle of very, very ripe bananas. The peel should be going brown!
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 very small pinch of salt

Banana Ice Cream Directions

Peel the banans, chop them into small chunks, and stick them in the freezer until they are almost frozen (it is fine if they are completely frozen, just take them out of the freezer and let them defrost for about 10 minutes before doing the next step).
Put the bananas, salt, and vanilla in the food processor and process until the banana mixture is smooth.
Pour the mixture into a container and let it freeze again.
Once the banana mixture is frozen, use an ice cream scoop to make balls somewhere between the size of a golfball and a tennis ball. Hacky sack size, maybe?
You can store the ice cream scoops in individual containers such as cupcake liners or lined up on a baking sheet. Keep them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

Ingredients for the Carrot Cake

3 Tbs flour (experiment with different kinds, I’ve used spelt and AP)
2 Tsp sugar
1 packet stevia (optional but cake will not be very sweet without it)
1/4 Tsp baking powder
1/8 Tsp salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/8 Tsp Nutmeg
1/8 Tsp Ginger
1/8 Tsp Cloves
1 Tsp shredded coconut (optional)

1 Tbs Oil (I used coconut)
3 Tbs milk (I used almond)
1/4 Tsp vanilla extract

1/4 Cup shredded carrots
1 Tsp Raisins (optional)

*Note that the spices can be switched out for 2 Tsp of allspice.

Directions For Carrot Cake

Do this step the night before. Put all the dry ingredients together in their own medium-sized bowl (flour, sugar, stevia, baking powder, salt, spices, and coconut), all the wet ingredients together in their own small bowl (oil, milk, and vanilla), and the shredded carrots and raisins together in their own small bowl. Stick all the bowls in the refrigerator over night.
Do the remaining steps in the morning. Take one scoop of the banana ice cream and the carrot cake mise en place bowls out of the fridge.
Pour the wet ingredients and the carrot/raisin mix into the medium-sized dry ingredient bowl. Stir till combined.
Transfer the mixture to a small bowl or a mug.
Microwave for 2 mintes.
Place the banana ice cream on top of carrot cake, sprinkle with cinnamon, and eat.

*Note that microwaving times may vary. The cake should be firm to the touch. Microwave 30-60 seconds longer if need be.

For the people that care (I know a lot of people are watching what they eat after the holidays), the cake- with the coconut, raisins, and ice cream- is 350 cals. For fewer calories, try replacing the oil with applesauce.

This recipe was adapted from and inspired by this one.

Darla + James

vkrees — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:57:33 +0000

In November I photographed Darla and James evening wedding in uptown Manhattan. A super classy wedding for a super classy couple. <3

Beer Beans stuffed in Collard Wraps

vkrees — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:56:47 +0000

Today’s post will be quick! I’ve got Melissa Rogers and Jeffery Kusterbeck here celebrating New Years with me and I must get back to that. We’ve got some serious Cards Against Humanity and Betrayal at House on the Hill to play.

Anyway, beans and collards are considered good luck to eat on New Years. I’ve combined both of them in these wraps to double up on the luck! Plus these beans have beer in them. Seriously delicious.

The bean recipe was adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb Kidney Beans
6 + 1/2 cups water
1 Red Onion
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 Tbs Oregano
3 canned pickled whole Jalapeño chiles
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 bottle amber beer
Kosher salt
Juice of one lime
1 tbs agave nectar
2 cups brown rice
24 large collard green leaves

Directions

Cook 2 cups of rice following the instructions on the package.
Check the beans to make sure there are no stones hiding in there and quickly rinse the beans under some water.
Bring the bean and 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Let boil for 2 minutes.
After 2 minutes, turn the heat off and let the beans sit in the water for an hour.
Meanwhile, wash the collards and cut the stems off the bottom.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stick a collard leaf in. Let the leaf boil for 30 – 60 seconds or until the leaf’s stem seems soft enough to fold. Remove the leaf from the water and set it on a paper towel to dry. Repeat this step with each leaf.
In a very large sauté pan, heat 1/2 cup water and the chopped onion. Let it cook until the onions are fragrant and somewhat translucent. You may need to add more water.
Add the garlic cloves and oregano to the onions and let cook for a minute or 2.
Add the beans (and the water they have been cooking in), tomatoes, beer, agave, and 2-3 whole chiles to the onion mixture.
Bring the bean mix to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 60 – 90 minutes. Be sure to stir often to ensure the beans dont burn onto the bottom of the pan!
Taste the beans as they are cooking and add salt until it is to your liking.
After cooking, be sure to let the beans cool off a bit before wrapping them in the collards.
Put a scoop of beans in the center of the leaf and roll it up like a burrito.
Put a scoop of rice in the center of a second leaf. Place the bean wrap on top of the rice and roll up like a burrito. See the bottom, right image above.
Slice the burrito in half, squeeze lemon over the wraps and EAT.

Lemon Glazed Yuca Fries with Agave Nectar

vkrees — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 18:10:47 +0000

First of all, a very happy birthday to my friend Lauren! Lauren makes stunning jewelry. You should go check it out. =)

I go through pretty intense food-phases, where all I want to eat is one kind of vegetable. One month of nothing but kabocha squash; one month of nothing but red cabbage; one month of broccoli. This time out it is all about yucca. Delicious, lemon-glazed, agave dipped yuca fries.

Ingredients

2 Yucas
2 Tbs Agave Nectar
Salt
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 lemon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Using a peeler, peel off the thick, wood-like skin.
Slice the yuca. Try to keep the slices consistently thick so they cook evenly.
Toss the yuca with olive oil.
Lay the yuca out on baking pan.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake the yuca for 10 minutes and flip them over.
Cook for another 10 minutes or until the yuca fries are golden brown.
Lightly brush the fries with lemon juice.
Dip the fries into agave nectar.

I love my fat orange kitty.

Moonshine Spiked Hot Chocolate, the Perfect Gift

vkrees — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:03:38 +0000

If you are like me your friends are spread out all over the world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t buy them a drink for the holidays!

What I’ve concocted here is a moonshine-spiked hot chocolate. All the recipient of this gift has to do is stir the contents of the bottles into 8oz of hot almond milk. If the idea of spiked hot chocolate isn’t your thing, you can apply the same concept to so many other mixed drinks – as long as the ingredients in that drink have a long shelf life.

Either way, you’ll need to get your hands on some bottles. :)

Ingredients

1.5 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 oz of moonshine
Half-a-dozen of your favorite marshmallows

Directions for you

Sift together the cocoa powder and sugar and put it in a bottle.
Put the moonshine in a bottle.
Put the marshmallows in a bottle (don’t cram them in or they will get stuck in there).
Tie the bottles together with string.

Directions for recipient

Heat up 8oz of almond milk (or other milk or water).
Stir the cocoa powder mix and moonshine into the hot milk.
Sprinkle the marshmallows on top.

Dont forget to include the directions for the recipient in your card. =) My room is a mess. Don’t judge. Marshall is.

A Smoothie To-Go

vkrees — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:41:10 +0000

Ya know gogurt, right? The product that supposedly makes yogurt, which is already conveniently packaged, even more convenient. Here I took that idea and applied it to something that could actually benefit from convenience and mobility- my favorite green smoothie. These are awesome for storing in the freezer at work. Just take one out 30 minutes before to let it unfreeze, snip the top off, and either stick a tiny straw in the top or eat it gogurt/ice candy style. If you are too impatient to wait for it to unfreeze, eat it frozen and call it a smoothie popsicle. I used my go-to green smoothie recipe for these photos but you can do this with any smoothie recipe that you’d like.

As I explained in the Irish Chocolate Whiskey Ice Candy post, if you live in the US – where ice candy bags are impossible to find – you will need to purchase 1″ polytubing from Uline.

I need a catchy name for these. Suggestions?

Ingredients

2 very ripe bananas
2 cups almond milk
2 handfuls or whatever leafy-green veggie you have on hand
2 Tbs almonds butter
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 packet stevia (optional)

Directions

Blend all the ingredients together.
Cut a 15″ strip of the tubing and tie a knot on one end of it.
Using a funnel, pour the smoothie into the tubing leaving about 2″ at the top. Tie a knot at the top of it.
Stick it in the freezer.
Repeat until the smoothie is gone. Makes 15 – 20.