How to stock your kitchen for quick shrimp dinners

I'm still learning kitchen tips from my 87-year-old mother. Rather than rely on pricey delivered meal kits, she stocks a modest supply of essentials suitable for fast weeknight dinners and impromptu guests. Frozen shrimp, purchased on sale, is a standard. Same for a few key frozen vegetables, fast-cooking pasta, canned tomatoes and refrigerated chopped herbs. The spice drawer contains a modest variety of herbs and spices; olive oil, onions and garlic are always on hand.

So when we did her weekly shopping, I tucked a couple of bags of frozen raw shrimp into my own cart. When I'm organized, the shrimp thaw in the fridge while I'm at work. Otherwise, the sealed bag sits in the sink to thaw while I prep the rest of the meal.

When purchasing shrimp,