Level 6 · Soft & Bite-Sized: soft, tender, moist food cut into pieces no bigger than 1.5 cm (about the width of a thumbnail). Some chewing is needed, but no biting. What do the levels mean?
Serves: 2 · Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: Soft or medium tofu, low-sodium soy sauce, dashi or broth, fresh ginger, cornstarch, a few drops of sesame oil.
Steps
Cut 14 oz tofu into 1.5 cm cubes and warm gently in simmering water for 3 minutes. Drain.
Simmer 1/2 cup dashi with 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp grated ginger. Thicken with 1 tsp cornstarch in cold water.
Spoon the sauce over the tofu and add the sesame oil. Leave off green onion, which is stringy.
Shortcut: Instant dashi granules are fine.
Check the texture: press a piece with the side of a fork until your thumbnail turns white. It squashes and does not spring back. Cut every piece to 1.5 cm before serving, and keep sauces thick rather than thin and runny.
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.