STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the Chicken Filling. When cool, stir in cooked rice. Reserve. Prepare the Tomato Sauce. Set aside and keep warm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Wash the peppers under cold water. Wipe dry. Cut the top 1-inch of the peppers off, keeping the stem intact. Reserve. Remove the core and seeds. Brush inside and outside with olive oil. Season inside with salt and pepper.
• Divide the filling into 6 portions and fill each pepper to the top. Place the lids back on top. In a roasting pan, place the stuffed peppers and the hot Tomato Sauce. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until done. Serve in heated plates garnished with minced parsley.
• Coarsely grind the chicken and transfer to a large bowl. Reserve.
• In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Saute the onion until translucent. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until all the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Cool.
• Stir the onion and mushroom mixture into the ground chicken. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. To test for taste, saute a small amount in a little oil and adjust seasoning.
• Reserve as stuffing for Green Peppers with Tomato Sauce.
• Yield: about 4 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Adventures in the Kitchen" Random House, 1991
• In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil. Over medium heat, saute the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.
• Strain into a clean saucepan. Whisk in butter, piece by piece. Add basil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Use as needed.
• Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups
• Place the chicken bones in a 6 or 7-quart pot, pour cold water over to cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Skim off the foam and fat that collects on the top.
• Add the remaining ingredients, lower the heat to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 2 to 3 hours, skimming as necessary. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl and cool. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days, discarding the hardened layer of fat before using or freezing.
• Yield: Makes about 2 quarts
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Pizza, Pasta & More!" Random House, 2000