Well you didn't necessarily have to do all of that to begin with for a few extra tweaks. If you were completely stock it is a simple process
on computer
- install latest android sdk (if you don't already have it)
on phone
- boot into recovery mode (vol up + power key)
- select update from adb
- plug phone into computer
on computer
- use terminal or command line with the adb sideload filename.zip command
five simple steps, a few minutes of your time.
I'm not trying to say that rooting and putting in a custom recovery doesn't have it own benefits, but for the average user, a custom rom or custom prl isn't really necessary. At least the Nexus 5 does not suffer from uninstallable bloatware which is a primary reason for rooting on other android devices. I've done my fair share of custom recoveries, roms, roots, and various hacks to countless devices. This phone has been one of the few so far I have not seen the need to do so.