More in this series: Really GOOD Tofu, I swear! | Shrimp and Asparagus Noodle Salad |  Tasty Tofu Pad Thai | Summer Shrimp Sushi

Don’t ya just hate it when trying out new recipes, and you need to go buy special ingredients, that aren’t used in your normal recipe repertoire… ?  So you use just a little of something, then have a jar stuck in the fridge for ages, or buy a bunch of a veggie or a bunch of herbs that ends up going to waste.  I hate that, so I try to plan cooking for the week that takes advantage of what I’m buying for a special recipe, without feeling like we’re having the same meal over again.  Hence “overlapping meals”!

Last week I wanted to try out the Pad Thai we featured in the Spotlight, but with tofu.  It wasn’t an overly complex recipe or have really weird ingredients, but it did require noodles, cilantro, and lime…and tofu.  I also had been promising to make some homemade sushi for my sushi loving child… for which I bought shrimp.

So here were the dishes I did, (with some key ingredients):

• Tofu Pad Thai (Noodles, Tofu, Lime, Cilantro)
• Summer Shrimp Sushi (Shrimp, Cucumber, Cream Cheese, Avocado, Rice Vinegar)
• Shrimp and Asparagus Noodle Salad (Noodles, Shrimp, Cilantro, Asparagus, Lime Juice, Rice Vinegar)

I’ll be featuring all of these in the next few days, and also my “Oh my god, this tofu is ACTUALLY GOOD!” tofu recipe, which if you’re skeptical of tofu, will totally change your mind.  [Edit:  Here it is!]

So stay tuned, the recipes are to come!

What are your favorite overlapping meals?  Share your ideas in the comments…