A little quinoa salad to help straighten you out on New Year’s Day.

Depending on the level of debauchery you achieve in the wee hours of the New Year, your first thought upon waking might well be, “I am never going to drink again,” not that I’d know much about that. But let’s be honest, if surviving a bender was a reliable cure for a tendency to overindulge, we’d all be sober as judges come January 2, and we’d stay that way for a good long time, or at least until St. Paddy’s Day.

Regrettably, such is generally not the case. Still, in the agonizing hours or days that follow a walk on the wild side, sustenance must be had. And though it’s entirely likely that the thought of eating lacks a certain appeal when you first wake up, once the vomiting subsides and the hallucinations fade, you will need to put something in your stomach. I find that the crashing hangover responds best to a combination of sugar and stodge, and for me French toast fits the bill. But as the day wears on, healthier foods are called for, and I’ve got just the thing: quinoa salad. I often make up a batch on the 31st, just to have it at the ready, and because experience has shown that it’s generally not advisable to wield sharp knives until at least January second.

I adapted this from Jamie Oliver’s recipe for couscous salad in “The Naked Chef.” The quinoa has a little more flavor, fiber and nutritional value than regular couscous, though you can substitute couscous if you prefer.

Quinoa Salad

Boil according to package directions

• 1 C quinoa
• ½ tsp salt

While the quinoa is cooking, chop up a bunch of vegetables, whichever you like: red, yellow or green pepper; onion; cucumber; zucchini; tomatoes

Mince a handful of some fresh cilantro and/or parsley. Chives and basil are good too.

No risk of inflamed mucous membranes with these babies.

Chop up a fresh hot chili, or use the pickled ones from a jar, which is what I do. SO much easier to deal with since you don’t have to handle the seeds.

Whisk up some lemon vinaigrette:

• Juice of one lemon
• Olive oil to taste (depending on how much juice you get from the lemon)
• Black pepper

Once the quinoa is cool, add all the above to it and throw in some golden raisins and toasted pine nuts. Add 1 tsp red wine vinegar and more olive oil as/if needed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss, cover and shove into the fridge.

Yes, it’s fiddly. That’s why you make it BEFORE you go off the rails and your hands start to shake.