From the Super Bowl to Valentine's Day and even National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, February is filled with events centered around food.
Now that New Year's resolution season is coming to a close, it's time to enjoy all of the things that you may have been avoiding in January. The TODAY Food editors never really stop eating, but this month, there are a few specialties that we really just can't put down. From three must-make recipes, to some truly sweet frozen treats, these are our favorite February food finds.
The ultimate meatball recipe
Food stylist Anthony Contrino is pretty much the resident expert on Italian-American cuisine at TODAY. If you haven't tried his 5-Minute Fettuccine Alfredo recipe yet, do yourself a favor and run — don't walk — to the nearest grocery store and pick up the four (yup, just four!) ingredients you need to make it.
For the latest episode of TODAY Food's original series "Saucy," Anthony shares a dish that's incredibly dear to his heart: an updated version of his grandmother's classic meatballs. Tender and juicy on the outside with a delightfully seared crust, these meatballs will knock your socks off.
Mother In Law's Gochujang Fermented Chile Paste
Gochujang is everything. This spicy, savory, slightly sweet and totally complex chili paste is actually pretty easy to make at home. But if you don't want to, Mother In Law's fermented chili paste concentrate is the way to go. We use it as a wing marinade, a miracle flavor enhancer for soups and stews, a lovely addition to so-so pasta and a sandwich spread. It's even great as a chip dip — just use it sparingly because, well, sodium. Mother In Law's makes several varieties (we also love the garlic version) as well as delightfully crunchy kimchi, but the original paste complements pretty much every type of cuisine.
Kind Frozen Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt Bars
Kind bars have been around since the early 2000s but the healthy snack company's latest innovation might give Snickers' ice cream bars a run for their money. These bars start with a creamy almond base (think of it as a thicker almond-flavored ice cream), topped with chopped almonds and sea salt, then the whole thing is drizzled with dark chocolate. Each bar is only 180 calories and has just 11 grams of sugar (the standard Snickers' ice cream bar has 20 grams). Right now, they're only available at Walmart but we promise each delightfully creamy and crunchy bite is worth it.
Priya Krishna’s Sheet-Pan Aloo Gobhi
Related
For the first installment of our new TMRW by TODAY recipe series, Sheet-Pan Sunday, we’re featuring “Indian-ish” author Priya Krishna’s Sheet-Pan Aloo Gobhi. It’s the even more hands-off version of her mom’s crispy, roasted, cumin- and turmeric-coated cauliflower and potato dish. Served over rice or roti, it’s bright yellow and therefore extremely Instagram-friendly. This healthy, flavor-packed meal is even better in leftover form.
Van Leeuwen Vegan Honeycomb Ice Cream
Food Editor Emi's favorite ice cream in the whole wide world is Haagen-Dasz’s Dulce De Leche — it's not too sweet, a little salty and perfectly creamy. Unfortunately, she's lactose intolerant — which never stopped her from eating it from time to time — that is until she found Van Leeuwen’s Vegan Honeycomb ice cream, which also has that perfect balance of sweet and savory. This decadent blend is made with both coconut cream and cashew milk, making it both creamy and airy. It's very possible that this nondairy treat might just unseat its traditional rivals.
Alison Roman’s Sticky Chili Chicken
This chicken dish is here to banish bland chicken — forever! Sweet, sticky, funky and fiery, it’ll reignite your excitement for weeknight cooking. Shockingly, we still had leftovers after making it, and it was even better the next day after all the pineapple, vinegar, sambal, lime juice and fish sauce had even more time to really sink in.
Want more of our favorite food finds? Check out what made the list in January!
