Oooooh the tartlet sounds so fancy. 
I might have to do that... the puff pastry back home comes in ready to use sheets so it would be super quick too. I think I would have to find an alternative to the carmelised onion marmalade (or go to waitrose and take it with me?) but maybe a pesto or something? Great idea. 
The sausage rolls - i dunno if I could find sausage that would match the greatness of the ones they use here, maybe breakfast sausage?
I find couscous to be very expensive in the States in comparison... It's less popular, and I don't know anyone else there who actually eats it. 
It's a shame - I love it. But I think I'm going to do a pasta salad with a homemade vinagrette and chopped veggies. So that is kind of similar. Some feta would go great in it, too...
Cous cous, expensive?! Well that's a bugger! You could take a couple of packs of the ready made stuff, I like the lemon, garlic coriander which is about 50p a bag, 2 or 3 bags and you'd have enough to feed an army, the good thing is if you put it in a bowl, poor boiling water on it (packet instructions) then put a plate over the top for 10 minutes it always cooks perfectly, then once it's cooled add some herbed chopped feta and it's delish.
I use the ready roll sheet pastry as well! I find it's almost the same size as a baking tray, so you just unroll it - perfect
Hmm, you could caramelise your own onions, but that would take time, is caramelised onion marmalade not common out there? That's a pain :/ They have it in big Tescos as well if you're taking it with you
You could use breakfast sausage, if you want them less fatty, make the sausage into cylinders, then cook them first (drain the fat) and leave to cool, then wrap a thin strip of pastry around it in a spiral and re bake. You could spice up the sausage meat by including fresh sage before you cook it.
Pesto would work well, with mozzarella and sun blush tomatoes (god I love sun blush tomatoes, on everything), or you could use a marinara sauce and put cheese and thin sliced saucisson or Italian ham on (like a pizza tart) , whatever you do, make sure you throw the rocket on, it makes it look fancier!
also make sure the wet sauce is fairly thin (but well coated).
I just realised I have such a bad cheese obsession!
Do they have the ready done bread mixes out there? That just need water adding? As if so you could do a quick home made pizza which always looks impressive.
If you're doing canapés then here's some ideas :
Tortellini wrapped in a sage leaf and parma ham - Get some good tortellini (pre made) cook, wrap in a sage leaf and parma ham, then serve on a tooth pick.
Bruschetta/crostini - I really like white bean bruschetta or baby artichoke bruschetta, a lot of this you can buy ready made then just rub the bread with garlic, toast, top and serve.Look at the fresh dips they sell in the supermarket a lot of these would make great toppings, then whack some cheese or chopped tomato on top and they look really fancy/taste great.
Baked mushrooms - top with cheese, garlic, whatever else you have, oven and serve
A quiche - if you use ready made pastry then quiches are really easy - put the filling in that you want (mushroom, leeks, onions, bacon etc) and then mix 2 eggs with some milk/cream/soft cheese like you would if you were making an omelette and pour that on top with lots of black pepper.
Chicken Satay! (bring the skewers with you, as I never saw them in the US)
Cheats Paella (arroz con pollo) - Use this stuff -
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Images/ExternalImages/ProductsDetailed/38/027038.jpg- Fry sliced Chorizo until the oil is released
- Throw in some onion and some diced bell pepper
- add diced chicken breasts (I actually like chicken thights)
- when nearly cooked through add the rice and water as in packet instructions
- when the rice is nearly cooked add any seafood that needs flash cooking like squid.
Serve
It's not an authentic paella but is blooming tasty. My Spanish flatmate used to do it all the time
