CHICKEN-STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Serves 6

Tomato Sauce:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons paprika

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

1 cup canned organic chicken broth

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Stuffed Peppers:

2 organic chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs together)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped

2 cups cooked long-grain rice

1/2 cup seedless raisins, coarsely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 large green bell peppers

Minced parsley, for garnish

First, prepare the Tomato Sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute; add the paprika and sauté until it turns fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, sugar and marjoram. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches a fluid sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Next, prepare the Stuffed Peppers.

With your fingers and a small, sharp knife if necessary, carefully remove and discard the skin from the chicken legs. Carefully cut the meat from the bones, discarding the bones. Trim away any fat or gristle. Cut the meat into chunks, put them in a food processor with the stainless-steel blade, and pulse until the chicken is coarsely but evenly ground. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a medium skillet, heat half of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring in the garlic during the last 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until their liquid evaporates, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Stir the onion-mushroom mixture into the ground chicken. Add the rice, raisins, egg, parsley, thyme, cumin, salt and black pepper and stir until thoroughly combined. (To test the stuffing for seasoning, sauté a small spoonful in a little oil, taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the peppers and wipe them dry. With a sharp knife, cut off the top 1 inch of each pepper, keeping the stem intact. Set these tops aside. Pull out the core and seeds from each pepper and brush the peppers inside and out with the remaining oil. Season the insides with salt and pepper.

Divide the filling equally among the peppers, filling them to the top without packing the stuffing. Replace the tops. Put the peppers in a baking dish just large enough to hold them comfortably upright with a little space around them. Spoon the tomato sauce around the peppers.

Bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through, about 1 hour. Use a large serving spoon to transfer the peppers to individual serving dishes, spooning the sauce around them. Garnish with parsley.