Level 3 · Liquidised: smooth, pourable, no bits. It can be sipped from a cup or taken by spoon, and needs no chewing. What do the levels mean?
Serves: 3 · Time: 45 minutes, mostly simmering
Ingredients: Cooked jasmine rice, low-sodium chicken broth, cooked skinless chicken breast, fresh ginger, a few drops of sesame oil.
Steps
Simmer 1 cup cooked rice in 4 cups broth with 2 slices ginger for 30 minutes, until the grains fall apart. Remove the ginger.
Add 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken and blend until silky.
Strain to catch any bits. Season lightly and add the sesame oil.
Thin with broth or thicken until it drips in dollops from a fork.
Check the texture: it drips slowly in dollops through the prongs of a fork, and there are no lumps, skins or fibers. If it runs through quickly, thicken it a little (a food thickener works well).
Use the food level recommended by your speech-language pathologist or doctor. Textures change with cooking time, cooling and reheating, so check the food each time before serving, using the simple fork and spoon tests in our swallowing guide. Sit upright to eat, take small bites, and stay upright for 30 minutes after.