Cashew Pisces Fromage - Cheesy Cashew Fish

Adapted from an old Paula Deen recipe that I'd ameded by adding  the hot sauce and green onion, and thanks to Eilene, a sailing friend, recently added  the cashews and ranch dressing mix. This was a  raw, cold, wet summer in Maine and one very  windy, very rainy, miserable afternoon  we retreated  below to the warmth of the woodstove-heated galley and swapped recipes for hours. She makes a little more cholesterol-friendly version -- doesn't use  butter or cheese at all, she uses a cup of sour cream instead.  Thanks, Eilene, we can't do without the cheese but we  do like that extra  cashew crunch!


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray the bottom of a  shallow  baking dish.
In a small skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter or oil over medium heat.  Add 3/4 cup chopped  onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.  To the bowl, add  2 cups shredded  muenster or monterey jack cheese, 1 cup mayonnaise, 3 chopped green onion tops ( green only), 1 capful  hot  sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, 1/8 tsp. garlic powder, 2  TB.  dry Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk-ranch dressing mix  and 1/2 c. cashews .  Stir well and set aside.

Place  4-6 fillets of firm white fish, ( about 2 lbs), generally the same size and thickness,  in the baking dish and squeeze the juice of a  lemon over it. Top fish with slices of cold butter, using 1/2 stick.  Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until fish is almost done;  the time will depend on the thickness of the  fish.  Remove the dish from the oven and cover each fillet with the cheese mixture.   Sprinkle with paprika, return to the oven and bake until cheese melts, about 8 to 10 minutes.   Top with a little chopped green onion.    Any  firm white fish will do --- cod, grouper, haddock, walleye.  If the fillets turn out to have  one  very skinny end,  fold it under the thicker end to make each fillet about equal in thickness so they all cook evenly. And, I'm sure you  already know  not to use  low-fat  mayo or Miracle Whip.