Grilling and Chilling

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Arianna Johnson has A Bachelors Degree in English/Creative Writing from Dowling College.  She is very passionate about writing and cooking and her goal is to become a food writer and cookbook author. Arianna can be reached at arianna.ruth.johnson@gmail.com
    In past articles I have written about how great of a tool the barbeque is. It keeps the house from getting hot, and imparts a unique flavor that only a grill can deliver.
    The great thing about the grill, there is virtually no clean up.  With a plethora of grilling options, how do you choose? You could get creative and grill romaine lettuce for salad or dough for pizza. I tend to stick with the tried-and-true, All–American Burger. 
    I love burgers, any day or time.  Let’s face it, summer time is burger time and all of the accoutrements that go with it.
    The burger possibilities are endless.  Traditional beef with cheese is a given, but what seems to be growing in popularity is the meatless or vegetarian options.  When I am looking for a healthier option for a burger I usually go for ground turkey because it has great flavor and moisture. Also, ground turkey won’t give you that greasy, bloated feeling that you can sometimes get after eating a beef burger. 
    I do have a few favorite combinations depending on what kind of ground meat I am using. If beef is my meat of choice I like to sauté crimini mushrooms, caramelize onions and melt Swiss cheese over the top. With ground turkey, I like to go lighter by preparing a chunky guacamole with garlic and cilantro and topping it off with a slice of ripe tomato. If we are talking about the bun, the new fad is the pretzel bun, that offers a little more texture and flavor over the traditional potato roll. 
    Now, there is some controversy whether or not a burger is better cooked in a skillet or on the grill because the skillet gives the burgers a crust, while the grill chars it more. But, let’s put that argument aside for the sake of this article and say that grilling is the better choice. So, for your next gathering around the grill, maybe try a build-your-own-burger bar or just pass mini sliders around for a bite-sized hors d’oeuvres.