Chicken and Hot Sausage Stew

(about 6 servings)

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1 pound hot Italian sausage (or sweet if you don't like hot)
fennel seed
1 small bulb fresh fennel, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 pablano or banana pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can Italian tomatoes (28 ounces)
2- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
A few leaves of basil, torn
rice

Season your chicken with salt and pepper and cook through and remove.  
Crumble or slice your sausage and cook through and remove onto paper
towel to sop up extra oil.  Chop or shred up your cooked, cooled chicken.

Add the fennel, onion, peppers and (minced or grated) garlic to the pot
and season with salt and pepper. Let soften, 5-7 minutes, then stir in the 
tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and 2 cups stock, 
breaking up the tomatoes. Add the reserved chicken and sausage back to 
the pot, a few leaves of torn basil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring 
occasionally over low heat.  (If you love SPICY food then add some cayenne
to bump up the spice level.  If you like moderately spicy food then this
recipe has the right kick for you already without more added.)

Be careful to not let this cook for too too long because I found the veggies kind
of lose their texture and fall apart.

Serve over rice (or whatever grain you please: noodles, polenta, etc)