the traditional combine: 1.5 cups of green lentils, cooked
half a carrot, grated, cumin, soy sauce, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt and white pepper to taste.
blitz in your processor, stick blender, etc, you want it mostly blended, but still a little textured.
add 1/3rd of a cup of oats, mix. It should come together and hold its shape, without being overly wet or crumbly. if its too wet, add more oats. if it's too dry, add a little water.
Roll into balls, and then roll those balls in oil, and bake in the oven till golden on the outside. Don't cook for too long, they can dry out.
The meatier version:
follow the same recipe, but cook the lentils in (faux) chicken stock. add 1/4 a teaspoon of promite or vegemite, and go a little heavier on the soy sauce, and add some smoked paprika, you will want this mixture a little wetter, but if it's too wet, they will "melt".
Cook until they're pretty brown, let them cool, and microwave them. for some reason, this makes the texture really close to meatballs?? its crazy :D
taco "mince":
follow the 'meatier' version, but don't add the promite/vegemite, and go heavy on cumin and paprika, add a little chilli, and possibly a pinch of sugar.
after you microwave the balls, crumble them. Not sure how well it would hold up with a large amount of sauce, but it was enjoyable in wraps, and satisified my cravings for taco mince.