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Anchovies and rosemary: Recipes for adding the super foods to your diet

Want to live to 100? Consider adding more of these ingredients to your diet with these 10 ideas.
/ Source: TODAY

There's a small village in Italy called Acciaroli that scientists think may have some of the secrets to how to live past age 100. Researchers at the University of California at San Diego are looking into this phenomenon and it's possible that the secret may involve anchovies and rosemary!

"[E]very meal they have the plant rosemary in almost everything they cook with," one of the researchers told NPR. "Whatever form they put it in has been shown in scientific studies to reduce cognitive and prevent cognitive dysfunction and some ageing."

"Everybody ate anchovies," he continued. "Now, you know, I actually like anchovies on my Caesar salad, but I never thought they would help me live to be 110. But they seem to eat it with every meal."

10 ways to get in two ingredients that scientists think may help you live longer
10 ways to get in two ingredients that scientists think may help you live longerShutterstock

You may be asking "Anchovies and rosemary???? Why, oh, why couldn't it be chocolate cake instead?" We get it. Not everyone is down with anchovies and rosemary and they may be two of the most divisive foods around. But since there's a possibility that these ingredients may be super foods, it doesn't hurt to buck up and try to incorporate them into your diet. Here are 10 ways to ease into getting more anchovies and rosemary in your life.

Anchovies

"Personally, I love anchovies," says Al Roker. "I know a lot of people are turned off by them, but they add great umami flavor." We're totally with you Al. Here are a few ideas for how to get more anchovies in your diet whether or not you're an adventurous eater.

Spaghetti with traditional Italian puttanesca sauce
Spaghetti with traditional Italian puttanesca sauce;Shutterstock

1. Incorporate them into a pasta sauce

That salty flavor you love in a puttanesca sauce is actually thanks to briny anchovies. If you haven't tried it before, don't worry, you won't taste anything fishy in this classic Italian dish!

Recipe to try: Pasta Puttanesca

Fish with anchovy butter
grilled mackerel with anchovy butter; Shutterstock ID 128982275; PO: angelikiJ-for alessandra bulowShutterstock

2. Make a compound butter

A juicy steak, thick-cut piece of pork or perfectly cooked fish is the perfect vehicle for an umami rich pat of anchovy-infused butter.

Recipes to try: Onion-Crusted Sole with Anchovy Butter

Chicken Schnitzel with Little Gem and Pea Caesar Salad
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

3. Chomp on a Caesar Salad

If you love Caesar salad, then you may unknowingly already love anchovies even if you push the filets to the side. Anchovies are the base of the salad's dressing. In fact, if you've ever had a Caesar salad that didn't taste quite right and wondered what went wrong--the dressing is probably missing the anchovies!

Recipe to try: Jamie Oliver's Caesar Salad and Chicken Schnitzel with Little Gem and Pea Caesar Salad

Al Roker makes slow-cooker lamb shank with herbed couscous
Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

4. Cook it with your braised meats

Minced anchovies add deep umami flavor to rich beef and lamb braises and stews, but you'll never even know they're there!

Recipe to try: Al Roker's Slow-Cooker Lamb Shank and Couscous

Bagna Cauda
Bagna Cauda ? italian warm dip served with fresh vegetables; Shutterstock ID 368688587; PO: angelikiJ-for alessandra bulowShutterstock

5. Just go for it in a classic warm Italian dip

Bagna cuada is a warm dip that's made simply with anchovies, garlic, shallots and herbs and comes from the Piedmont region in Italy. It blows away spinach-artichoke dip by a mile in terms of flavor and is not fishy at all. Serve it with crudite for hors d'oeuvres or toss it with roasted vegetables for a side that your guests will rave about. Just be brave and you may become a anchovy fanatic thanks to this delicious dip.

Recipe to try: Bagna Cauda with Vegetables

Rosemary

A member of the mint family, this herb is native to the Mediterranean and has hints of both lemon or pine. What that means is that most foods that you like to eat with lemon juice will likely also likely taste great with a dash of the herb.

Rosemary Pork Chops
Beall + Thomas Photography

1. Roast it with chicken, lamb or pork

Pump up your main course protein with the fragrant flavor of the herb.

Recipe to try: Rosemary Pork Chops

Bobby Flay's Rosemary Home Fries with Pancetta, Parmesan and Parsley
TODAY

2. Add it to your taters

Potatoes with rosemary is a marriage made in heaven whether the spuds are roasted, mashed or french fried.

Recipe to try: Bobby Flay's Rosemary Home Fries with Pancetta, Parmesan and Parsley

Rosemary-Garlic Chex Mix
Grace Parisi

3. Toss it with crunchy savory snacks

Finely chopped rosemary is a delicious and fragrant addition to your favorite store-bought crackers and chips.

Recipe to try: Rosemary-Garlic Chex Mix

Siri Daly's Rutabaga Fries
TODAY Show: Siri Daly cooks up a healthy meal of veggie burgers and rutabaga fries. -- February 17, 2016Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

4. Incorporate it into your roasted vegetables side dishes

Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beets, turnips and rutabagas are just a few veggies that are instantly upgraded once they're combined with earthy rosemary, salt, pepper and the best extra-virgin olive oil you can find.

Recipe to try: Siri's Rosemary Rutabaga Fries

Shrimp skewered on rosemary
Shrimp skewered on rosemary; Shutterstock ID 13418863; PO: angelikiJ-for alessandra bulowShutterstock

5. Grill your seafood on rosemary sprigs

Who needs wooden skewers when you can lance scallops, shrimp and more right on the herb?

Recipe to try: Grilled Shrimp on Rosemary Skewers