Creature-less *balls

Last night, I was too tired to head to the grocery store to pick up some ground meat, so I decided to make do with non-creature-originating items within my household.

Now, I'm not trying to go vegan, but I do like having the option; I'm a reluctant carnivore who frequently entertains the thought of ceasing creature consumption.

Creature-less *balls

Base:
1/4 cup pearl barley, ground
1/4 cup brown basmati rice, ground
1/4 cup wheat gluten
1/4 cup garbonzo flour
1 cup water

Spices:
1/4 cup Chopped shallots
1/4 cup minced garlic
Leek, Cilantro, Marjoram, Parsley, Taragon, Savory, Basil
1tbs ground sumac
Pepper to taste, salt if you wish

Mix the base ingredients together. You may need to adjust the amounts above. Initially, I started with just the barley, rice and gluten, but added the garbonzo flour because I had used too much water. You're aiming for a heavy paste that can be rolled into balls. Add spices and mix in well.

Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes.

Roll into balls and place into boiling liquid and simmer for about 40 minutes. (I sauteed some veggies, added a cup of water and some tomato paste and popped the balls in).

I see no reason why these can't be fried, steamed or even baked. If frying, give a nice coating of some kind of flour.