InfoPath Dev

I have created an Infopath Form which has some custom C# Code written. Since this form contains code it has to be an admin approved form and hence I need to go to central admin -> upload template and then Activate the form to site collection which creates a content type at site collection level and sets the content type document template URL to /FormServerTemplates/ExpenseReport.xsn. Then I can create a forms library and set its content type to the form templates content type. Basically I'm trying to render the form in Browser(Infopath Forms Services).

Is this the only approach to access an admin approved form. I assume when you upload the form it recycles the app pool of the central admin and hence server wont be available for a minute or so. Correct me if i'm wrong. Is there an alternate approach to access admin approved without uploading the form to central admin...

Can I upload the form directly to Site Collection and still mimic the central admin approach. My environment is SharePoint 2010 but the Infopath Template version is 2007.

You should be able to upload the template to the Form Templates library right from the site (not through central admin) assuming you have permission to do so. Someone with the right permissions (might be you again) will have to approve the item though before you can use it

No other way for a form to run correctly which requires administrator approval, or code behind. If there is no code  then no need to be administrator approved and can publish directly to the SP library.