Bertolli Garlic Shrimp,Penne & Cherry Tomatoes

Another one of those lazy dinners.  I was determined to get something from the freezer section of Ralph's Market. Something that I could just warm up and serve for a family of 3.
I got 2 bags of the Bertolli Garlic Shrimp, Penne & Cherry Tomatoes.

I also bought the Mamma Bella Garlic Bread to go with it. The bonus was it was "Cholesterol free". All you have to do is stick it in the oven.

The fresh asparagus looked good so I got some of those too. I just microwaved them a bit and mixed a little balsamic vinegar glaze and some salt.

I tasted the garlic shrimp as it cooked. The shrimps were nice and succulent, not rubbery. It looked promising but  it needed more flavor.  I added sea salt, then poured a bit of Mirin (sweet cooking sake) and some whipping cream. Voila! Edible shrimp pasta!

I've never made garlic bread in the past and I have had this brand (Mamma Bella) at a picnic once and I thought it was pretty good. I got impatient towards the end of the cooking time so I turned on the broiler and I ended up leaving it a bit longer....so it looked a bit burned like it had just emerged from Hell!  It was salvageable; after a little scraping, it was  good as new; readily absorbing the juices of the shrimp dish.

Moral of the story: Don't expect perfection when it comes to anything frozen. Cooking from scratch is still the best option but if you don't have the time...the word is IMPROVISE.