white wine-braised chicken drumsticks with squash, eggplant, broccoli, carrots, and onion

Today was a good day for a braise.  Hearty, wholesome, hot, and heavenly.

a few tbsp vegetable oil
4-6 chicken drumsticks
1/2 red onion, sliced
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head broccoli
2-3 squash, chopped
1 med eggplant, chopped
2 tbsp butter, cut into small cubes
your choice of seasonings
white wine -- buy a bottle and eyeball it.  this should be a wine you drink while you cook, not that "cooking wine" bullshit

heat dutch oven (i went with cast iron) on med-high with vegetable oil.
when hot, add chicken drumsticks.  i put salt, pepper, and tony's cajun seasoning with some olive oil in a ziplock bag and shook them around before adding to the pot to season.  substitute your favorite seasonings/herbs/spices, or skip and just s&p.
preheat oven to 350F
rotate every few minutes until golden brown on all sides.  set aside on a plate.
add onions to pot.  stir occasionally for a few minutes, until slightly softened.
add garlic.  stir a few times, then add carrots.  after a few minutes, add broccoli.
after a few minutes, add squash and eggplant.  s&p to taste
add chicken drumsticks back to pot, on top of veggies
add wine until you can just see it, about halfway up the veggies.  add a cup or so of water.
sprinkle cubes of butter over the top of everything.  make sure to put a cube on each drumstick.
last chance to season away -- i went for dried powdered thyme and a bit of paprika.
bring liquid to a bubble, put in oven, uncovered, and allow to cook for about a half hour.  check meat color for doneness -- white=good, pink=bad.
i served mine over a bed of toasted ciabatta slices, about the size of biscotti.
drizzle with a bit of the liquid.  delish.

super-simple, no-fuss, wholesome food.  i've become such a fan of a good braise.  for the quality of the results, it's not much effort.  and the time is easily managed.  and, honestly, who doesn't love an all-in-one-pot meal?!

this one warmed me up on a cold night.  hit the spot, and left me with leftovers, or enough to feed a family.  and of course the veggies could easily be switched out for whatever you have around and/or is in season.